


Dreaming

by Nikia_Sarang



Series: Quest for Serenity [1]
Category: The Covenant (2006), True Blood, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Angels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Demons, Elf-Fairies, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Multi, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Vampire-Werewolf hybrids, Vampires, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:35:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 135,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22489531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikia_Sarang/pseuds/Nikia_Sarang
Summary: Due to their unusual abilities... a woman and her cousin find themselves unwittingly entangled in the dark and dangerous world of supernatural beings while on a quest for peace and happiness.
Series: Quest for Serenity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618087
Kudos: 9





	1. Vampire Admirers

**Author's Note:**

> On August 30, 2009 I had a dream which played out like a movie. It contained an unusual crossover with 3 other shows and was so realistic that when I woke up I had chills from the effects of it. I wrote out the dream and that's how this series began.

My eyes popped open while my heart pounded hard enough that it felt like it was going to come out of my body. Sweat beaded on my forehead and I was breathing quite heavily. It took a few minutes to calm down after waking up from the dream. It felt real, as though I was there experiencing every single thing in person. My heart ached at the thought. When someone you love dies and you dream about him, her, or them...it’s such a cruel joke when you wake up. Their absence hits you afresh, like a bullet to the chest. Tears flooded my eyes as I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. My heart was still beating erratically. I wondered if I would ever get over it but the void was just as deep as when my parents passed away years ago. Nothing can ever really make it go away. You can escape, dull your senses, and pretend it’s not there but it will surely rear its ugly head to remind you that they’re gone and nothing you do will bring them back. It’s much worse when you lose more than one person. The effect is amplified, especially when you dream about them, because for that brief moment you’re reunited with them, savouring every second, and then you awaken only to relive their death and loss from your life.

This time it was different. In the dream, I walked around the house wanting to believe they were real but knowing in my heart, even in the dream, that it was indeed a mirage, a false hope, a scenario that my subconscious had created to cope. In the dream, I had an inkling that someone was going to kill them and they were oblivious. They walked around, mingling and interacting with everyone as they laughed, ate, drank, and enjoyed the company. I stood at the edge of the room and watched from the sidelines, unable to partake in the joyous occasion. Mom came up to me and smiled but that’s when I broke down and began sobbing. She was instantly worried and asked me what was wrong. The dull ache in my throat prevented me from forming coherent sentences because I couldn’t stop sobbing and when she hugged me to soothe the pain—I woke up.

I don’t remember a lot about my parents but I do know that they loved each other immensely. They were a beautiful couple, not just outwardly, but they radiated warmth—a kindness that was hard to shake off when you interacted with them. I often wondered if they would have had a brood of kids if they didn’t die—but they did die and their absence left a hole in my heart. I remember how much they loved me and it was hard to forget even if Gran and Gran Daddy took me in and tried to make up for everything by doing everything in their power to comfort me. My aunts, uncles, and cousins visited a few times a week which helped a lot. We were a close-knit family and that made it easier when loss became a prominent part of all our lives.

For the most part I lived in obscurity. I was an extroverted introvert and I didn’t build close relationships with anyone other than my cousins and couple of friends. That was the side effect from having the world’s worst luck in relationships; be it friends, family or partners. You tend to isolate yourself from people when you keep losing someone you care about. You cling to the familiar and reject anything new. Sometimes it’s just easier to build a fortress around your heart than expose yourself to someone who could add to the insurmountable pain you already feel.

The only family I had left were Gran and four cousins: Sookie and Jason Stackhouse, Hadley and Tonya Delahoussaye. Our Gran Daddy, Earl, disappeared when we were children which left Gran, to look after us on her own. All of our parents died before their time. My parents died in a house fire when I was 6. I was visiting Gran when it happened. I woke up screaming because I had a dream they were in a fire and it took a couple of hours for Gran to calm me down but not even 10 minutes after she calmed me the Sheriff was at her door with the news. I never forgot the look on her face when she realized I had a vision of their deaths; little did she know that was only the beginning.

Jason and Sookie’s parents, Uncle Corbett and Aunt Michelle, died in a flash flood when Sookie was 7 and Jason was 10. They were stuck in their car and the water flooded the area too quickly for them to escape. Hadley and Tonya’s parents, Aunt Linda and Uncle Carey, disappeared without a trace when Hadley was 17 and Tonya was 15. They were officially declared dead after 7 years when they weren’t located. Hadley became addicted to drugs and moved away while Tonya became embittered, depressed and vengeful. We tried to help but she isolated herself from everyone and she didn’t stick around for long, she moved away without any notice except a small note which read: _“I just can’t live here anymore, it’s too hard. I can’t escape the memories and I see them everywhere.”_

I understood her pain. Growing up without parents is hard enough but when they disappear without a trace you don’t have any closure. You start to think about all the abducted children who were reconciled with their parents several years later and the horrible accounts of what they endured. You don’t really lose hope but you don’t have anything substantial to base that hope in except a bunch of memories and prayers that they’re alive and well. Tonya had a gut feeling they were kidnapped and murdered by vampires but there was no evidence to support it. I had a very strong sense that she was right but I couldn’t prove it. In the end we all understood why she left and we didn’t blame her but her absence hit us hard. We were all the family we had left and losing even one of us reopened the previous wounds that were barely healed. Hadley and Tonya’s absence cut us even deeper because they never communicated with us after they left and therefore we had no way of knowing if they were dead or alive. I had a gut feeling they were alive and I told Sookie, Gran and Jason about it but we were sad, nonetheless. It just seemed like our family was plagued by one tragedy after another.

I was especially close to Sookie and Jason, even before their parents died. When Gran took me in and became my legal guardian my aunt and uncle constantly visited us and they always brought Sookie and Jason with them. At that time Sookie was only 1 and Jason was only 4. I would play with them while Aunt Michelle and Uncle Corbett spent time with Gran. Occasionally, Aunt Linda and Uncle Carey would bring Hadley and Tonya to visit but we didn’t see them a lot until Aunt Michelle and Uncle Corbett died. When they passed away Gran also became the legal guardian for Jason and Sookie and Aunt Linda and Uncle Carey came around more to help Gran. As a result the five of us, Sookie, Jason, Hadley, Tonya and I, grew up like siblings rather than cousins. The family resemblance was evident. It had to be the Stackhouse connection. The traits were obviously passed down to us. Sookie, Jason, Hadley, Tonya, and I all had blonde hair and light coloured eyes. I was the only one with green eyes while the rest of them had blue eyes. I wasn’t sure why I got the green eye gene but we still looked very similar. Sookie and I were constantly mistaken as sisters. I was 3 inches taller than her but except for the green eyes, we both had long blonde hair and curvaceous figures. My hair was naturally curly but sometimes I would straighten it; however, that was an arduous task since the humidity would normally bring the curls right back, therefore, most of the time I just let it be. The biggest but unnoticeable difference between Sookie and I was our special ability. She was a telepath and could read minds where I was precognitive and would get premonitions of impending events regarding the important people in my life or, periodically, strangers. It explained a lot about the dream of my parent’s demise but I never truly revealed it to anyone about it except for Sookie; likewise she only told Jason and I about her telepathy.

There were a few people in our community we had grown close to who we considered to be a part of our extended family like Sam Merlotte, Tara Thornton, and Lafayette Reynolds. Sam owned Merlotte’s, the local bar and grill in town. He was a shapeshifter and could turn into any living thing, except human. Nobody else knew this except Sookie and I but we didn’t tell anyone because the townsfolk already thought we were a bit weird, let alone how they would react if they knew about Sam. They would probably treat him like a pariah. He had shaggy, sandy brown hair, grey eyes and a sturdy build. He was generous, kind, loyal and was protective of us.

Tara worked at Walmart in Shreveport, and her cousin Lafayette, was a cook at Merlotte’s. Tara’s Mom was an alcoholic and as a result, Tara spent most of her childhood with us. Lafayette’s Mom was institutionalized when he was around 15 years old but by then he had already managed to support himself in spite of it. Every so often he would visit us to check in and make sure Tara was okay.

Sookie and I shared the same struggles with our abilities. While we were personable and somewhat outgoing, we had no social life, a sparse or dysfunctional love life, and definitely no recreational life. We spent some of our spare time with Tara and Lafayette who didn’t act any different around us but most of the time the local townsfolk, though they liked us, considered us strange. Sookie worked full-time as a waitress at Merlotte’s. I used to work there but my parents had a small life insurance policy and when they died, with Gran’s stubborn insistence, I used the bulk of it to pay for my college education but instead of pursuing a life outside of our hometown after I graduated, I worked as a full-time receptionist at a doctor’s office not too far from my apartment building. Jason worked in the construction road crew which gave him a very toned physique and being blessed with the Stackhouse genes, he was attractive and very much a ladies man. He didn’t stick with one woman for long but this seemingly didn’t bother some of the women in town as they would hook up with him on a regular basis. He wasn’t as perceptive as Sookie or I. He could be downright clueless sometimes which brought a certain sense of humour to our family dynamic but he was loyal and protective to a fault. If he felt like Sookie and I were being mistreated by a guy he didn’t hesitate to step in and say something, that is if he caught wind of it. Most of the time he didn’t find out those details until much later because we did our best to keep our private lives to ourselves and it frustrated the hell out of him.

Despite our painful past we tried to live normal lives but inwardly we knew that normal wasn’t a part of our genetic structure as much as we wanted it to be. Most people thought having special abilities likens you to being a superhero but the truth is that it isolates you. The problem with my gift is that it was inconvenient. Many times I didn’t get the premonitions when I thought I could benefit from them. There was no rhyme or reason to the ability. It wasn’t an exact science and it was very unpredictable. It wasn’t as though I could turn it on and off like a light switch but I wished that was the case. It made it almost impossible to have normal friendships or relationships. If _fate_ decided that I needed to know something it would rear its ugly head and I would be faced, most times, with situations that I didn’t want to know about, especially when it came to my boyfriends.

In hindsight I suppose it was best not to be ignorant if my boyfriend was cheating on me, stealing from me, or dealing drugs or whatever behind my back. I just hated to get a vision of it and have them lie right to my face. What bothered me the most about my exes was their refusal to accept responsibility for their actions. It was bad enough to be caught in a lie but to deny its validity and turn the tables in order to shift the blame onto someone else...well that pissed me off. You would think with my natural perception I could easily avoid the bad guys but for some reason I only seemed to attract them. It was frustrating because they would initially seem so wonderful and then that’s when the boom would hit. The last relationship ended when I got a vision of him cheating on me with the town whore and I literally caught him in the act. I dumped his ass on the spot and changed the locks at my apartment. In my eyes that was the last straw. I gave up on love and didn’t see a point in wasting time on anyone so I remained alone after that avoiding getting close to anyone other my family or friends.

In some ways I think it was harder for Sookie to date because she could hear each date’s thoughts, every single one, and most of the time they were vile. It was just easier for her to avoid dating altogether and try to block out the thoughts of everyone around her. So we both lived our lives, for a time, free from the complications of dating.

*****

There’s a pivotal moment in everyone’s life when something major happens to them and nothing is ever the same and usually that moment varies between the recipients. The night Bill Compton walked into Merlotte’s it started a chain of events that weren’t exclusive to just Sookie or I. His presence affected everyone in our little town for good and bad but mostly bad.

That night I just happened to stop by for dinner instead of my usual self-induced seclusion after work. Lafayette was lifting me out of my doldrums and Tara had just craftily convinced Sam to hire her as a bartender after she quit Walmart on a whim. When Bill entered the bar the expression on Sookie’s face caught our attention, she felt his presence right away. I’ll never forget the look on her face when he sat down in her section. Sam and Sookie immediately knew that he was a vampire but the rest of us didn’t, not at first. Sam hadn’t ordered the blood substitute, aptly named _Tru Blood,_ in years because we never had any vampires in Bon Temps so the first batch he ordered expired. When Sookie walked over and began to talk to him the Rattray’s, the town’s most notorious trailer trash, turned around to intrude in the conversation. I didn’t like them, nor did I trust them—despite the obvious reason—and they constantly made Sookie’s life unbearable even for the short amount of time they lingered in the bar. It was more than just their obnoxious behaviour; I had a weird feeling about them that I couldn’t place it. Deep within, I hated them, and I wasn’t the type of person to hate anyone. As I watched them show undue interest in Bill, to which Sookie rolled her eyes when they weren’t looking, I shook my head disgustedly and turned back around to finish my Pepsi, and my burger.

“I guess I should get going before I end up saying something that will piss them off.” I muttered to Tara under my breath.

“I’d love to see that.” Lafayette commented with a grin through the kitchen’s pick-up window.

“Me too.” Tara agreed. “That ugly bitch needs to be put in place.”

“But not when it could come back and kick Sookie in the ass.” I commented and put the money on the counter.

“Damn, I hate it when you’re right.” Tara took the cash and put it in the register.

“I’m not always right.”

“Sure seems like it.” She replied as she was about to give me the change.

“No change. Keep it.”

“Take care, Nik.”

“Thanks see you later.”

I waited for Sookie before I left. After she dropped off food to the Rattray’s, and a glass of wine to Bill she walked over to me with a bit of a grin.

“Heading out?” She asked.

“Yeah.” I replied as she hugged me. I could see Bill staring at her intently while the Rattray’s stared at him. “Listen, I’m not sure what’s up with the trailer park twins over there but be careful. I’m not getting a good vibe tonight.”

“Did you see something?” She whispered.

“No but I don’t like the way they’re eyeing the new guy over there and he keeps staring at you.”

“He’s a vampire.” She whispered so quietly into my ear that if she wasn’t next to me I wouldn’t have heard her at all.

My eyes bulged.

“Oh…okay.” I mumbled, somewhat shocked.

“He ordered some Tru Blood but of course you know we haven’t carried that for years.”

I looked back at Bill and he smiled slightly, nodding in my direction. I returned the gesture.

“He seems nice but be careful of Mr. and Mrs. Ignorant over there.” She smiled. “I don’t trust them.”

“Don’t worry about me; you know that I can take care of myself.” She replied and I felt relieved.

“Okay then, tell Jason I said _hey_ when you see him.”

“You should tell him yourself. He misses you.”

“He doesn’t have time for me outside of all his serial dating.” I quipped and she laughed.

“Good point. I wish he’d meet a nice girl and settle down.”

“Me too.”

Jason, bless his heart, had a serious commitment problem. I could never understand that despite the fact he didn’t stick with one woman for very long, and that it was a well-known fact he did this, the women flocked to him. It had to be the Stackhouse good looks and charm. We never failed to have admirers but whether or not they were good for us that was another matter entirely.

Just before I left, Dawn Green, a prior colleague from my pre-college days, gave me a quick hug as she was on her way to take an order to a table. She was a sweet person and one of the few I missed when I left for school. She was petite, had green eyes and flowing dark auburn hair. She caught the eye of almost every guy in town, including Jason but she didn’t date near as much as he did.

“Did you think you could get out of here without at least giving me a hug?” She asked with a smile.

“Guess not.” I teased as I returned the hug.

“Don’t be a stranger.” She looked at me intently.

“You know me.” I mumbled.

“Yeah, I do and that’s why I want you to come in more often.”

“Me too.” Maudette Pickens, another waitress commented as she walked by.

“See.” Dawn said. “We miss you here, a lot.”

“I miss you too.” I commented and suddenly she looked at Sam behind the bar.

“Maybe Sam could give you part-time hours.” She winked at him and walked away. Sam nodded as though he agreed.

“I’ve got my hands full with my other job.” I replied.

“Well you know you can work here any time you want.” Sam offered.

“We could use your spicy personality around here.” Lafayette agreed.

“It’s spicy enough with you two behind the counter.” I winked at him and Tara. They laughed and I waved bye.

The next few days were quiet, as usual until Jason called me at work. The second I heard his voice I knew something was wrong. He tried to make small talk but I could tell by his tone that he was rattled. I had one of the girl’s in the office cover me while I took the call in the break room.

“Jason, cut the crap and tell me what’s wrong.” I stated impatiently.

“I don’t want you to worry or anything but something happened with the Rattray’s and that vamp.” He was editing.

“Did it involve Sookie?”

“Yeah.” He took a big breath. “But she’s okay.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“They kind of ambushed him when he left and tried to drain him.” Jason said. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised.

“So they’re dealing vamp blood?” I asked, pissed. “That’s illegal.”

“Well they’re not doing it anymore.” Jason replied. “Sookie stopped them and saved the vamp.”

“Did she get hurt?” I asked.

“No but karma sure kicked the Rattray’s in the ass.”

“How do you mean?”

“A freak of nature happened and a tornado tore their trailer to bits. They didn’t make it.”

Something about that seemed all too coincidental and there was a nagging feeling in my gut that Bill had something to do with that freak of nature hitting their trailer.

  
“But Sookie is okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, she’s fine.”

“And you’re calling me _because_??”

“She’s interested in that vamp.” He said with an edge to his voice.

“So what? I bet we don’t have to worry about him hurting her seeing as though she saved his life.”

“I don’t want my kid sister with a fucking vamp.” Whoa. That seemed to hit a nerve.

“They’re not all alike.”

I'm not even sure why I made that comment. I had never met a vampire before seeing Bill in Merlotte’s that fateful night but somehow deep inside I just knew that they weren’t all the evil, bloodsucking, killers that everyone made them out to be. Plus I had heard through the grapevine, albeit unintentionally, that they were hands down the most incredible lovers.

“And you know this how?” He asked bitterly.

“Because I give people the benefit of the doubt before I assume the worst.”

“He’s not a person, Nik. He’s a fucking vampire. They feed off of us. Hell—they’re the reason why Hadley and Tonya went off the rails.”

“First of all we don’t know that for sure. Secondly, you have to stop being a bigot.”

“I'm not a bigot just because I don’t trust vamps.”

“Right and the white folks who don’t trust African Americans just because of their skin colour aren’t bigots.”

“That damned college brainwashed you.” He muttered. “It’s obvious you don’t see reason.”

“You sound like the one who’s brainwashed with a bunch of hate right now.”

“Stop preaching to me.” He muttered and I sighed.

“Jay…can you actually dispute that out of the two of us right now, I'm the more reasonable one? Don’t hear what I'm not saying. Obviously I think everyone should keep their guards up around strangers we don’t know but all I'm saying is don’t assume the worst. Give Bill a chance. If he does something to justify your anger fine but until then, give him a break.”

“Whatever. I have to go.” He hung up and I sighed as I put the phone down.

I sat there for a few minutes with the nagging feeling that there was so much more to the story than Jason knew. When the last patients left for the day and I finished closing up the office, I skipped dinner and rushed over to Gran’s. Sookie was sitting on the porch swing when I got out of the car. I stomped up to the porch and put my hands on my hips.

“I guess Jason talked to you.” She said as she stood up.

“Why the hell didn’t you call me before you went out to save Bill?” She sighed.

“There wasn’t time.”

“Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?” She asked innocently.

“Sookie—it’s _me_ you’re talking to. I know there is more to this than Jason told me.”

“I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“Spill.” I said stubbornly, refusing to leave her alone until she told me the entire story.

She sighed and grabbed my hand, leading me off the porch. We didn’t stop walking until we were a good distance from the from the house.

“The night after I saved Bill, the Rattray’s ambushed me and kicked the crap out of me.”

“What?!” My eyes widened.

I felt heat rising in my core. It was a good thing they were dead or I would probably lose it if I saw them again.

“I should’ve seen it coming.” She said. “You don’t screw over the Rattray’s and expect to get away with it.”

“You should’ve called me after you saved Bill from them.”

“Too late to do anything about it now.” She mumbled.

I looked her over and noticed that there wasn’t a scratch on her body. No bruises, nothing. That was weird.

“You said they beat you?” I asked continuing to inspect her appearance.

“Yup, I was a goner.”

“Excuse me?” Getting beat up and being a goner were two very different things. “What the hell does that mean?”

“They beat me so bad I was dying.”

Something didn’t add up… her appearance did little to convince me that she was the victim of a life threatening assault. She looked perfectly healthy and radiant, almost as though she had been to a spa treatment after fighting for her life.

“Then how is it that you’re breathing right now? And why don’t I see any marks or bruises?”

“Bill found me when they left me for dead and he saved me.”

“Saved you… _how?_ ”

“Um…” She hesitated. “He… gave me some of his blood.” Ick! I wanted to hurl.

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

“I was dying… and well... his blood healed me.” Wow. I heard that a vampire’s blood was special but not _that_ special.

“You were dying?” My eyes glistened and she grabbed my hand. “Seriously?”

“Yes but I’m fine, now.”

“But only because you took his blood and you’re lucky he was there just in time and while we’re talking about being lucky… the Rattray’s are damn lucky I wasn’t there! I would have lost it.”

“You sound like Jason.”

“I'm no bigot but nobody messes with my family. Did you actually think I’d let _that_ go?”

“Bill beat you to the punch.” Oh boy, way to confirm my initial gut feeling.

“He killed them?” I raised my voice.

“Shhh! Gran doesn’t know what happened… she’d flip if she found out.”

Almost as if she was summoned Gran came out onto the front porch of the house with glasses of lemonade and called out to us.

“You can’t very well stand out there in the heat without something to drink.” She said as we walked back.

“Thanks Gran.” I gave her a hug and took the glass. I loved her homemade lemonade.

“I wish you’d visit more often. I miss you hon.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m sorry. I guess I keep to myself a lot.”

“A bit too much for my liking. How are you going to meet a decent man if you don’t get out?” She said as Sookie smirked.

“Gran… I don’t want to meet a man. I’m happy alone.”

“Oh rubbish! You just haven’t met the right one yet.” I rolled my eyes. “Speaking of men, Bill Compton has expressed an interest in Sookie. Did she tell you?”

_No…_ that part she missed telling me. I had no idea they were both into each other.

“Really? By all means _please_ tell me.” I looked at her with arched eyebrows. Gran smiled and went back into the house.

“Oh hell…” Sookie rolled her eyes.

“Come on… fill me in.” I smirked.

She told me in detail about how Bill made it look like a tornado ripped through the area where the Rattray’s lived and killed them but she only found that out after he came over to check up on her to make sure she healed properly. Gran subsequently invited him for dinner. They ended up going for an evening walk afterward. Apparently she couldn’t hear his thoughts, and it was extremely comforting for her to be around someone whose thoughts were a mystery. It was peaceful, relaxing. I could tell she was already smitten but that was to be expected after he saved her life. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about him. I didn’t like the fact that he just so brazenly killed two humans… but then again… if I caught the Rattray’s beating the hell out of Sookie I'm not sure if I would have held back. I probably would have rained hell down on their evil asses. We talked about Jason hating the fact that she was interested in a vampire but she brushed it off. Apparently Tara didn’t like it either and she would be harder to convince but it didn’t bother me in the least. If Bill was a real threat to her safety he wouldn’t have saved her life the second time he saw her whether he felt obligated to or not. I encouraged her to keep an open mind but to be careful about any other vampires. They weren’t all alike and I wasn’t sure what the rest would do if they found out about her telepathy. She assured me that she would be careful and would let me know if there was any potential threat.

Over the next while I tried to warm Jason and Tara up to the idea of Sookie finally being happy, regardless of whom she was interested in. They weren’t sold on the idea and told me they would be watching Bill like a hawk and when he showed his true colours they would be there to put him in his place. I just shook my head and rolled my eyes, hoping that they would eventually get over themselves and put Sookie’s happiness before their bigotry. I wasn’t sure they would though… they were stubborn as hell but seeing as though their intentions were good, I couldn’t blame them. I just had to distance myself from whatever bias they had against him.

As it turned out, after a short while, to everyone except Sookie and Gran’s dismay, she began dating Bill. Jason was less than thrilled and called me to vent and almost three weeks to the day he first called me about it. She ended up calling me just afterwards about a vampire issue.

Little did I know then it was only the beginning. Everything was about to change in my life and unlike before… I had no idea.

“Sookie?” I asked sensing something off.

“Nikki… I’m kind of worried about something.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well you know I’m officially dating Bill now.”

“Yes, Jason told me.” Boy did he ever.

When Jason called to prep me for the news he was panicked and blathered on, spewing more about his vampire hatred. I put him in his place and told him to leave them alone if Sookie was happy. He got annoyed and hung up on me again. I never heard back from him.

“Well I’ve been summoned to see his boss.” _Um…what?_

“Excuse me… but I thought I just heard you say you were _summoned_.”

“I did.”

“Am I missing something? Since when are you _summoned_ to do anything? This isn’t the 1920s when women were treated like cattle.”

“It’s really not like that and it’s kind of a big deal. The vampires have their own laws and they have to obey their leaders. If I don’t go they will punish him.”

“Punish him?”

“Yes.”

“But exercising your God given right to refuse to go is independent of him.”

“They wouldn’t see it that way.”

“What did you get yourself into?” I sighed.

“Um…”

“Come on Sook, you must realize just how screwed up this is?”

“I do… but I care about Bill and I don’t want anything to happen to him because of me.”

“NO, not because of you, because of the idiotic vampire bureaucracy.”

“If you were in the same situation you mean to tell me that you wouldn’t go?” I didn’t reply at first. “Nik… if something was going to happen to me or Jason would you stubbornly refuse to go just to make a point or would you just bite the bullet to spare us?”

“Damn it.” I replied.

“Exactly.”

“So you love Bill then?”

“I know it seems fast.” Hell yeah! That was fast. “But he really does care about me.”

I'm sure he did but I had a funny feeling that her being involved with him, and then indirectly hit with a boatload of what sounded like the vampire mafia, would end up kicking her ass down the line. I couldn’t have that.

“Alright—well get to the point.” I replied, annoyed.

“Bill’s boss wants to see me so I have to go.”

“No you don’t. You don’t _have_ to do anything.” I replied stubbornly and she sighed.

“Nik…”

“Okay, I get it.” I replied impatiently.

“Besides if I don’t go then he’ll punish Bill or worse and end up taking me himself.”

“That is illegal and you know it.”

“Doesn’t matter, I guess.” She mumbled. Ah damn it.

“Like hell, let me at him.” I blurted.

“Not helping Nik.” She commented and I sighed “The easiest thing for all of us is if I just go.”

“Fine.” I replied dismally. “Then I’m going too.”

“No.”

“I wasn’t _asking_ , I was _telling_.” I replied stubbornly.

“I don’t want them to find out about your secret ability, it’s bad enough they know about mine.” _Pardon me?_

“Wait a sec, back the train up... how do they know about your ability?”

“Long story.”

“Then condense it for me.”

“I kind of blurted out something; someone overheard and put two and two together.”

“Damn it.”

“Nik… it’s fine. My real concern is you. I don’t want you to come and risk them finding out about you.”

“How are they going to find out? Did you tell Bill about it?”

“No but I think he suspects something.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing specific but I can sometimes see his nose twitch when he gets close to you, almost like he can smell it.”

“Do vampires have special radars that detect special abilities in others?”

“Not that I'm aware of but I wonder if our uniqueness gives off a different scent to our blood and makes us more appealing to them.”

“Great… just what we need.”

“This is why I don’t want you to go.”

“Sookie… I'm going and that’s final—besides I think you’re overreacting.”

“You’re right I’m probably just being paranoid and overprotective of you.”

“Well that runs in the family…” I commented and she chuckled. “Anyway where do you have to meet this _boss_?”

“Fangtasia.” Oh shit. I had heard about that place from some of the locals.

“Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” She replied. Ugh. It was the last place I wanted to go.

“From what I’ve heard around town it’s a busy place. I can sneak in there on my own and just hang out in the background just to make sure you’re ok.”

“I don’t know.” She replied uneasily.

“Sookie… you know I can take care of myself besides if something is going to happen I’ll probably see it.”

“That’s true.”

“I think you need to give me the skinny on Bill’s boss and what you got yourself into.”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“I don’t like it now but if I'm going to be exposed to this creep I need to be prepared.”

“Fine.” She sighed.

She went into detail about how she first met Eric Northman, Bill’s boss, the Viking vampire Sheriff of Louisiana. He was over 1000 years old and very powerful. He was tall, blonde, and apparently he had an ego to match his age. I didn’t doubt that. I had overheard a few comments from the locals about vampires in Shreveport, but quite a few of the ladies in town were smitten with some gorgeous blonde vampire bar owner. I couldn’t be sure they were talking about him but it seemed to fit. They went on about his sexual prowess but I was unimpressed. I had been celibate far too long to care about the rumours of a philandering vampire egomaniac. My real concern was his new obsession for my cousin. He was infatuated with her and he was already scheming to get her away from Bill. One scheme, which backfired to his surprise, occurred when they had a trip to see his maker Godric in Texas. A few members of a local vampire hating group opened fire on the residence and Eric got in front of Sookie to protect her which initially was a heroic thing to do but the more I found out the more I became angry. As a result of stepping in front of her he took silver bullets in the chest while Bill hunted the culprits responsible for shooting everyone. He proceeded to trick Sookie into believing that he would die from the bullets if she didn’t suck them out of his chest. Unbeknownst to her the bullets would have pushed themselves out eventually but she complied anyway given her gracious nature and as a result she said a blood tie was created. That’s when I lost my cool. 

“Ok… tell me what the hell that means?”

“What?”

“Well… judging from the tone in your voice obviously this blood tie thing is important… I want to know more about it.”

“Um…” She paused. “If you drink the blood of a vampire... you form a permanent attachment to them. They can track you wherever you are like a homing device and they can feel your emotions.”

“That means you have a blood tie to Bill.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

“And now Eric has tricked you into forming one with him.”

“Yes.” She replied unhappily. I wasn’t upset at Bill. Eric, however, was now on my shit list.

“Bastard!”

“That’s not the worst of it.”

“Pardon? How can that not be the worst of it? He knows your ability; he can find out your location like he’s a GPS and he knows what you’re feeling… that’s the definition of worst.”

“I will also be attracted to him.”

“What? Like _involuntarily_?” I asked angrily.

“Yes.” She answered quietly. _Oh for fuck’s sake_.

“Ok… so how can I kill him?”

“Be serious.”

“I am serious. I want to kick his ass.”

“Listen we can’t do anything to him or else it will affect Bill.”

“If he even tries to pull that bullshit with me I won’t stand for it.”

“Good.”

“Can I bring a stake with me to the bar?”

“ _Nikki!_ ”

“What? It’s a legitimate question.”

“You sound like Jason.”  
“The hell I do. I'm not a vampire hater but I'm also not just going to let some vampire egomaniac try to manipulate my cousin.”

“Relax... it will be okay.”

“Right... famous last words for a Stackhouse.” I said and she sighed. “Ok fine... I won’t do anything rash but he’d better not piss me off.”

“Promise?”

“I promise not to instigate anything but if it comes down to protecting you or myself then I _will_ do something.”

“That’s fair.”

“You’re damn straight that’s fair.” I replied. She knew that was all she could expect from me and it was pointless to argue.

“I’ll text you the details.”

“I’ll mark it on my calendar in red ink to match my mood.” I replied and she laughed.

When the dreaded night to leave for Fangtasia came I tagged along for the car ride but told Bill and Sookie that I would enter the bar separately so that nobody would know we were related. They were trying to convince me otherwise.

“We have the same last name… I still think they’re going to know.” She stated nervously.

“Maybe they won’t ask me for I.D.” I remarked.

“They always check for I.D.” Bill replied.

“Let’s hope for the best. I’ll wait at the bar and drink soda until you’re done or you could wait for me down the road… I don’t mind walking to catch up with you.”

“Like hell you’re doing that… it’s dark and there are vampires out there. I don’t trust them.” She replied firmly.

“I have to agree with Sookie.” Bill was insistent.

“Ok fine I’ll meet you back out here as long as they don’t follow us out.”

“Fine but I still don’t like this.” Sookie mumbled.

“I don’t like that this jackass summoned you so I guess we’re even.” I retorted. Bill smiled at the comment.

They didn’t like it but relented when I persisted. They dropped me off around the corner from the bar after I convinced them that I could cross the street by myself. I took my time walking to the entrance. There was a significant line and I stood at the far end of it as I observed who I could only determine by Sookie’s description was Pam, Eric’s second in command. She let Sookie and Bill pass by but once they were indoors I noticed her inhale and she looked at the patrons in line. When she settled her gaze on me, she pointed, and motioned for me to go to the front of the line. That was strange. I hesitantly walked to the front of the line while the others looked at me curiously. She was stunning to look at and her smile revealed perfectly white, straight, teeth. She had long straight blonde hair, beautiful bright blue eyes, and ruby red lips. She was wearing a black leather bustier over a long black skirt that had a slit up the side of her right leg. Her red nails and shoes matched her lips. She looked me over and I arched an eyebrow.

“I need to see your I.D. please.” Shit.

I guess there was no way out of that one. I handed my driver’s licence to her. Her eyebrows arched as she looked at the information but she didn’t say anything to me.

“So… _Nikki,_ why are you here?”

She stared deep into my eyes. I was pretty sure she was trying to hypnotize me but I wasn’t going to let her know that it wasn’t working.

“Curiosity.” I replied.

“Hmmm.” She purred, “Go on in.” Well that was strange.

As I passed by, her fangs came out. I had an odd feeling that she was attracted to me but I ignored the impulse and entered the bar. I looked around inquisitively but eventually sat at the opposite side of where Bill and Sookie were. I ordered a Pepsi and began to drink it when suddenly several men, one after another, began to flirt with me. It was odd. It was as though I put on a perfume that caused them to gravitate toward me. I couldn’t tell which were human or vampires but I politely refused their advances.

“You’re popular tonight.” The Native bartender commented with a smile.

His black muscle shirt revealed arms covered in tattoos. He had long black hair, and from his protruding fangs I got the distinct impression he was attracted to me as well, I pretended not to notice.

“I guess so.”

“You’ve never been here before.” It wasn’t a question.

“No but I was curious.”

“See anything you like?” He looked around at the patrons who seemed to be listening to our conversation.

“Not really.” I didn’t even bother to look at anyone.

“You’re different.” He replied as he studied my reaction. Uh what?

“Excuse me?”

“I can spot a fangbanger from a mile away and you are certainly not one of those.”

“ _Fangbanger?_ ”

“Another term for a vampire whore.” Okay…

“Oh… _oh._ Yeah…you’re right I’m definitely _not_ one of them.”

He smiled at my sarcasm but suddenly gazed over to the right of where we were sitting. I followed his line of sight and that’s when I saw _him_. Based on Sookie’s description it had to be Eric but she never mentioned how attractive he was. He was possibly the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was seated on some kind of throne situated on a platform at the far end of the bar. He had well-groomed golden blonde hair that fell beneath his shoulders and a mesmerizing face. He was wearing a black dress shirt which was unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, exposing a chain with an ancient fertility symbol hanging from it, the shirt was tucked into black leather pants, and I noticed a curious silver ring on his left hand. He had a mischievous grin and he nodded at me. I forced a smile and turned my face toward the bartender. I was blushing. I felt like an idiot for staring at him the last thing I wanted was him to think I was interested in him.

“It seems that you caught Eric’s attention.” The bartender commented. _I don’t really care._

“Oh.”

That’s all I said. I shrugged it off as though it wasn’t a big deal and tried to drink the last few drops of my soda. The bartender smirked and refilled the glass. Pam suddenly stood beside me startling me in the process.

“Hello there.” I almost choked on my drink. She smirked at my reaction.

“Uh hi…”

“Nervous?”

“No, I just didn’t expect someone to _suddenly_ appear at my side.”

“What are you drinking?”

“Pepsi.”

“You don’t drink alcohol?”

“Not usually.” I tried to be nonchalant but I didn’t know how to respond to her odd curiosity.

“You seem unimpressed by the clientele here.” She was rather inquisitive and I didn’t like the fact I was being _watched_.

“Pardon?”

“I’ve noticed several humans and vampires speak with you this evening.” I looked at the bartender as she turned toward him. “Isn’t that right Long Shadow?”

So… that was his name. _Long Shadow,_ I wouldn’t forget that. He nodded and tried not to smile while he served drinks around us.

“I guess so.” I replied apathetically.

“You’re not interested?”

“Not really.”

“Why did you come here?”

“I wanted to see what the hype was about.”  
“And we haven’t lived up to your expectations?” She remarked with a curiously arched eyebrow.  
“I didn’t come here to study vampires I just came to see what the bar was like.”

“Interesting.” She replied in an ominous tone. “My Master would like to meet you.”

I almost choked on my Pepsi, for the second time.

“Excuse me? Your _Master_?”

“Eric. He’s my maker and he owns the bar.” Not sure what that had to do with me. “He wants to meet you.”

“Um… why?”

“He’s always intrigued with special patrons.”

“Special?” I was suddenly worried that she knew about my precognition.

“You have a very unique scent and it’s quite mouth-watering.” Uh… _gross_.

“I’m not looking to be anyone’s meal for the evening but thanks anyway.”

“I like your spirit.” She answered with a smile, seemingly amused by my sarcasm.

“That’s nice…” I blurted unimpressed.

“Well…?”

“Well what?”

“Eric wants to talk to you.”

I looked over at Long Shadow who smirked and walked away to serve another customer, how convenient. I looked over at Eric; he was smiling and motioned for us to come over. At this point I wondered where the hell Sookie and Bill were. I didn’t see them anywhere and now _I_ was being _summoned_ to meet Eric. I didn’t want to go over but I didn’t want to arouse suspicion either. Ugh! Damn vampire politics!

“I'm serious... I’m not about to let someone chomp on me.” I reiterated to her.

“Silly human… he’s not going to harm you; he’s very taken with you.” _Whatever the hell that meant._

“Uh... okay... I guess.”

I stood up and followed her over to where he sat. She stood behind him and his eyes roamed up and down my physique which made me uncomfortable and I looked around for the nearest exit. I didn’t like feeling I was going to be the main course for a vampire buffet.

“Nikki, please have a seat.” He pointed toward the chair beside him.

I looked at Pam who was also admiring my assets. I felt like I was in the vampire equivalent of the Playboy mansion. I had to wonder if Hugh Hefner ever heard of this place. I warily sat down.

“Pam informs me that you are new and you are unimpressed with our bar.” Oh shit.

I looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders. Great, _thanks_.

“Uh... well it’s not that I’m unimpressed. I just came to see what all the gossip was about.”

“Gossip?”

“The locals talked about a vampire bar in Shreveport so I was curious.”

“I noticed you were getting a lot of attention earlier.” Great, so he was watching me too? I _so_ didn’t like that.

“I guess so.”

“You’re not interested?”

“Not really.”

“Do you belong to anyone?” That was a strange statement. _Belong_? Like I was a pet or something?

“No. I _belong_ to myself.” To my surprise he was amused by that comment and Pam stifled a laugh. Okay…

“You have no boyfriend?”

“I don’t think that’s any of _your_ business.”

I tried to be polite but I wasn’t about to disclose my love life, or the lack thereof, to him. He arched his eyebrows.

“I wasn’t trying to offend you. I was trying to ascertain if you were single and if you’d care to join me later.”

“Join you?” I didn’t like the sound of that.

“I have a meeting to attend to but once I’m finished I would like you to accompany me.”  
“Accompany you where?” It was like he was using code words to ask me out but I had no clue what he meant.

“To my chamber.” Shit. I knew exactly what _that_ meant. I blushed and his cocky smile revealed perfectly white teeth.

“Oh… well... unfortunately I’ll have to pass.” The astonishment on both of their faces couldn’t be hidden.

“You have plans?” He asked. Evidently nobody had ever refused him and they could scarcely believe my response.

“With all due respect I think you have mistakenly assumed that I’m one of these fangbangers.” I motioned toward the crowd. “While I'm flattered that you’re attracted to me I have to be honest and advise you that I’m not the sort of woman who goes around having indiscriminate sex with vampires _or_ strangers.”

The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them and I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. Pam was stunned at my refusal but intrigued. He wasn’t angry but definitely fascinated and I didn’t want him to be. I heard enough about him from Sookie. He suddenly smiled like he had just won a great big prize which was the opposite of what I expected his response to be. I had turned him down and he was grinning like I accepted his offer.

“What a pity for me.” _Pity indeed Mr. Player._ “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to reconsider?” _Um, no thanks—you fuckboy._

“I’m quite sure... I hope you have a good evening.” I politely excused myself and walked back to the bar and sat down.

“Would you like a refill?” Long Shadow asked.

“Yes, please.” I was about to put money down on the counter but he refused. He looked over at Eric who shook his head.

“It’s on the house.” Long Shadow commented.

“Oh, thank you.” I put my money back into my purse and began gulping down the drink like I was parched.

A sweet, smooth, female voice interrupted my attempt to escape.

“Nikki? Is that you?”

I turned to see Dawn walking toward me. She gave me a hug and sat on the stool beside me. She looked beautiful. Her flowing dark brown hair was in light waves which accentuated her smile and beautiful green eyes. The form fitting blouse and skirt she was wearing highlighted her curves. She was dressed to kill and looked like she was on the prowl. I couldn’t help but wish that Jason would just settle down with her instead of screwing everyone in town. She was such a sweet person.

“How are you?” She asked.

“Just great.” She smelled like Rum and Coke. It was apparent she was a bit drunk and she was scoping the cute guys.

“See anyone interesting?” Her eyes darted around the room.

“Not really.”

“What about him?” She looked over at Eric who was staring at us. “I’ve heard about him. They say that if you have sex with him you’ll never go back to a regular human.” I saw him grin at her comments. _Conceited Asshat._

“Who says this?” I tried to be oblivious to those rumours.

“Some of the girls in Bon Temps. One of them said he was the best sex she ever had.”

I didn’t really want to know that. He smirked again and I wanted to smack the expression right off his face.

“He’s just beautiful isn’t he?” _Yeah, sure, for a total vamp whore._

“I guess so; I mean he is attractive… but…” When I saw he was studying my response I stopped. She piped up.

“I noticed you were talking to him earlier… what’s he like?”

_Arrogant as all hell, egomaniac, total player, worse than my cousin Jason._

“Uh well…” I froze in place.

I didn’t want to say anything about him to encourage her but I also didn’t want him to think that I was interested in him and would purposely dissuade her. Ugh! I wanted to leave.

“He’s not my type.” I finally commented.

“Seriously?” Her eyebrows arched. “He’s gorgeous. You’re not into gorgeous blondes?”

“He’s somewhat appealing.” I replied. “But we have nothing in common and I'm not into hooking up with random men.”

“Wow.” She replied and looked like she was going to say something but then backtracked like she forgot something. “Did you hear about the Rattray’s?” She asked out of the blue.

“I did.” I replied.

“Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving couple.” She blurted while I tried not to smile and agree wholeheartedly.

“I try not to think of it that way.” I replied.

“Come on Nik, this is _me_. You can be honest.” She said. “Nobody liked them.”

“Just because someone isn’t well liked doesn’t mean they deserve to die.” I replied. _Except they did try to kill Sookie…_

“You’re too nice for your own good.” She replied. “I hope it doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass someday.” Ouch.

“Well… I don’t put up with anyone’s shit whether I'm nice or not.” She laughed.

“Good.” She smiled and put an arm around me.

“And just because I'm not happy someone’s dead doesn’t mean I don’t hope they went straight to hell.”

“That’s more like it.” She commented and put an arm around me. “I hope you meet a nice guy.”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “I'm happy with the way things are.”

“You’ll feel different if you meet the right guy and when you do he’ll treat you like a princess, which you totally deserve.”

“So do you.” I replied.

“Is that a hint to stay away from Jason?” She asked.

“You’re my favourite out of all the women he’s been with but we both know it’s a total player.”

“He’s hot though.” She commented. “And he’s great in the sack.” Ewww! I _so_ didn’t need to know that.

“Too much info, Dawn.” I wrinkled my nose.

“I'm sorry but it’s true.” She replied in a slur.

“Ugh. Fair enough.” I sighed. “But I think that to me it doesn’t matter how gorgeous a guy is. If he’s an ass and ends up using you or taking you for granted then it’s not worth the trouble. Being hot or great in bed doesn’t make up for being a jerk and treating women like shit.” I stared at Eric so he knew the comment was directed at him.

He arched an eyebrow which meant he got the point. He whispered to Pam and then I faced Dawn again. Before I could answer Pam walked over to us and the next thing I knew Dawn grinned at me while she headed over to see Eric, who was still staring at me with curiosity. Dawn sat down beside him and he turned his attention to her. I shook my head in disgust and finished my Pepsi.

“Did you actually want a drink with some kick?” Long Shadow asked and I looked at him with a slight smile.

“No thank you. I guess I should get going.”

“We’ll see you again.” He said confidently, as though he knew something I didn’t.

After what I witnessed I didn’t want to go there ever again. I picked up my purse and walked toward the exit. In a blink Pam was beside me.

“We’ll see you again.” She grinned, confidently.

“Maybe.” I noticed her inhale again. That was odd.

“Eric wanted me to extend a personal invitation for you to come back as a special guest.” O-kay.

Was there something in the water? What was it about Sookie and I that attracted people to us?

“Uh… why?” I asked suspiciously.

“He’s intrigued by you.”

“But he also knows that I’m not a groupie.” I replied and she arched an eyebrow.

“He extends the invitation nonetheless.”

“Okay… I’ll consider it.”  
“Have a pleasant evening.”

“You too.”

She studied me as I left the building. I was relieved when I finally got away from the craziness. I went back to the car which was parked around the corner. I unlocked the door and climbed into the backseat. I couldn’t stop thinking about Eric and what a pretentious ass he was. What the hell was that? The vampire version of the Love Connection? I was thoroughly disgusted. He was making Sookie’s life miserable by using her telepathic gift and trying to woo her from Bill—then he was trying to coerce me to have sex with him? Ugh! I didn’t ever want to go back after that but I knew that if he summoned Sookie again… I wanted to be there for her. It was a hard call. While contemplating all of this I fell asleep in the backseat waiting for Bill and Sookie.

When the car door opened, it jolted me awake. I opened my eyes groggily as I yawned. We were a few miles down the road before they started talking to me.

“Nikki... what the heck happened to you?” Sookie asked curiously.

“Ugh! You weren’t kidding about that jerk.” I replied. Bill frowned at my answer.

“It seems to me that Eric may not be harassing you much longer, Sookie.” Bill seemed certain.

“That’s a relief.” She said as she let out a big sigh.

“Not if you consider that he’s now interested in Nikki.” Bill replied and that caught my attention.

“What?” I began to wake up in a hurry.

“Oh hell.” She rolled her eyes. “Why can’t he just leave us the frig alone?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I was in disbelief.

“You break the tedium of what he’s accustomed to in his old age. He feels as though he’s seen it all but with you two he hasn’t.”

“You make it sound like he’s a senior citizen. I bet Hugh Hefner doesn’t even score as often as Eric does.” Bill laughed.

“You could say that.” He answered.

“What does this mean.?” I asked. I didn’t like the expression on Bill’s face.

“It means he’s just switched his focal point from Sookie to you.”

“Ah shit, that’s all I need. Well… I turned him down.”

“I know, I heard.” Bill smiled and was somewhat amused by that.

“So what did he want you for?” I asked to change the subject.

“He’s noticed money missing from his accounts. He wanted Sookie to read the minds of the human staff.”

“Oh. Well did she?”

“No. We waited in his office but he came in seemingly miffed at your refusal and he needed to wind down with someone else.”

“Yeah, I know... Dawn.” I replied sourly while Sookie’s eyes bulged.

“ _Excuse me?_ Dawn, like Dawn from work?”

“Yes. She fell under his philandering charm.” I rolled my eyes.

“Great...”

“Hey if it keeps him away from us—I’m all for it. Although I’d much rather it _not_ be Dawn.”

“I doubt Eric will develop an infatuation with her.” Bill was positive.

“That’s relatively comforting.” Sookie wasn’t impressed and neither was I.

Eric aggravated me and I couldn’t get him out of my mind. He was possibly the most incorrigible guy I had ever met, well except for my ex Jeff but even he was a distant second. I never wanted to return to Fangtasia, even the idea made my stomach turn. I didn’t like the attention I received when I was there but I also couldn’t let Sookie and Bill go back alone if they were summoned again, not now. I knew that if I was near them I could warn them if I got a premonition.

It wasn’t long after our visit to Fangtasia that something began to shift in Bon Temps almost like a dark cloud settled on our little town and had no intention of leaving. I became more concerned about Sookie’s safety and it was a good thing but not just because of Eric. Soon after our trip to Fangtasia some lunatic in Bon Temps began murdering women who slept with vampires. First it was Maudette, and then it was Dawn both of whom had slept with Jason. The eerie connection between the two women, aside from having sex with Jason, was that they had been to Fangtasia _and_ worked with Sookie. To make matters worse Jason was being framed for their murders and although it was a huge coincidence that he had sex with both of them just before they died we knew he was innocent. I didn’t need a premonition to confirm it either, Sookie had read his mind—even though he hated it when she did that but she wanted to see if there was anything that would give away who the real killer was. It didn’t. Since we were both intent on proving his innocence I was agreeable to any idea she had to locate the real killer, regardless what it was. When she told me she wanted to go to Fangtasia to read the minds of the humans and get some answers I immediately agreed, even though it was the last place on earth I wanted to go. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight. I was determined to stay as close to her as possible to ensure she wasn’t added to that list. If only I could figure out who it was that was killing off these women. I didn’t know Maudette very well but she was nice and I was very sad about Dawn. I really liked her, when we worked together we got along well, and I knew that Sookie was close with her.

About two weeks after Dawn’s death we finally went to Fangtasia. I took my own car to avoid any kind of suspicion. Similar to my last visit I didn’t approach the entrance until after I noticed Bill and Sookie went inside. Pam was at the front of the line again, damn it. The minute she noticed me she waved me over. I sighed and walked to the front. The other hopefuls standing in line eyed me enviously while they waited to gain entry. They wanted to go in and I wanted to go away. Everyone was dressed looking like they belonged in a Goth video where I dressed casually on purpose so that I wouldn’t get any attention. I figured that a plain black t-shirt, faded blue jeans and simple black sandals wouldn’t catch anyone’s eye. I was wrong. I stood out like a sore thumb because I wasn’t trying to fit in with the vampire crowd—I couldn’t have cared less, it was obvious, and apparently that made me a target.

“Hello again, Nikki.” Pam purred like a cat was having its tummy rubbed. What was with her?

“Hi Pam.”

“Still curious?” She teased.

“I figured I’d give it another try.” She looked at my outfit and arched her right eyebrow. “Obviously I’m not on the prowl.” She smiled.

“Nonsense… you stand out more than the regulars.” _Great!_ “I’ll let Eric know you’re here.” _Uh...no! Don’t do that_!

“That’s okay... there’s no reason to disturb him.”

“He told me to let him know when you returned.”

“But really it’s fine… don’t bother him.”

“I’m quite certain he won’t be bothered when I tell him you’re here.” I didn’t know what to say after that.

She ignored my request and snapped her fingers. At once another employee came over to take her place as we both walked inside. She went directly towards Eric while I intentionally walked in the opposite direction to the bar. I sat at the very last stool, the farthest away from where he was, hoping he couldn’t see me.

“I knew you’d be back.” Long Shadow smirked as he poured me a Pepsi. I reached for my wallet. “It’s on the house.”

“It’s okay... I can pay.”

“No. I’m following orders.”

“So… would it still be on the house if I decided to add alcohol?” I grinned.

“Yes. Did you want me to add Rum to your Pepsi?” He laughed.

“No... I’m good, thanks.”

I took a big gulp and tried to ignore the looks I was getting. It was evident that it didn’t matter if I was dressed casually. My _devil may care_ attitude seemed to be the main selling point of my persona. I suppose to the secure single people or vampires in the bar it was tiresome being surrounded by desperate men and women all night. There was no challenge, no excitement, in the pursuit of their conquests. However; it was obvious I wasn’t desperate or even looking for someone, hence the attraction. Not even five minutes after I sat down I was approached by a few men quoting smooth lines and offering drinks. I politely refused. When the last one walked away Long Shadow frowned.

“Do you belong to someone?” What was with the whole ‘ _do you belong to someone’_ thing?

“No. I _belong_ to myself.” He was amused by my reply.

“No, I meant are you dating a vampire or do have a boyfriend?”

“No.” _Mr. Nosey_. He stared at me in disbelief.

“It surprises me that you’re not interested in anyone here.”

“I guess I haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Uh-oh... that was a wrong comment to make, I noticed his expression.

“So you are looking for someone...” He smiled but Pam was at my side before I could answer.

“Eric would like to see you now.” _So what?_

“It’s alright. I’m sure he’s busy.”

“Now.” She replied firmly. _Fine Ms. Bossy pants._

“Okay...” If I wasn’t so paranoid about Sookie’s safety I would’ve told her to go to hell. I grabbed my drink but I noticed Eric wasn’t on his usual throne. “Where is he?”

“He’s in his office.”

“Uh... why can’t I just see him out here?”

“He would like to speak to you in private.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. Long Shadow smiled and helped another customer pretending not to notice our conversation but failing miserably.

“Why?”

“My goodness you’re an annoying little human with question after question.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s because he feels like it, now follow me.” Clearly she wasn’t the most patient vampire in the world.

“I just don’t see the point in meeting him in his office.”

“You are so much like Sookie.” Uh-oh. I pretended to be ignorant.

“W _ho_?”

“Never mind... it doesn’t matter. Are you coming or not?” She tapped her heel on the floor in annoyance.

“Fine, okay... don’t get your panties in a bunch.” I quipped and that made her smile.

“I’d like my panties in a bunch on the floor… I don’t suppose that you could help me with that?”

_What the fuck?_ How was I attracting all these people? My eyes bulged. She looked toward the back of the bar.

“Obviously that will have to wait.” _And you’ll be waiting until hell freezes over lady!_

I sighed and followed her to the back of the bar and down the hall. She opened a door and expected me to walk right in. When I didn’t she impatiently motioned for me to enter the room. Once I walked inside she closed the door behind her, shocking me in the process. I expected her to follow me in. It was barely lit and it didn’t look like your typical office. I warily looked around. He was seated on a black leather couch looking as smouldering as ever. He had a thing for black clothing; he probably would have blended right into the leather if it wasn’t for his pale skin. He was wearing a fitted black sweater and black jeans. I had butterflies in my stomach when I looked at him, though I wasn’t sure why. I was desperately trying _not_ to notice how his sweater flattered his muscular chest and arms. He looked me up and down. I tensed and looked at the door wishing it would blow open. Too bad I didn’t have _that_ power. Oddly enough there was a part of me curious enough to want to stay while part of me wanted to get the hell out of there and the other part of me wanted to make sure Sookie was safe—so that meant staying.

“Have a seat.” He patted the open space beside him. _No thanks._

“I think I’ll stand.”

I continued to look around the room. It had a desk, a few bookcases, and filing cabinets but that was in the corner of the room, otherwise it looked like a Goth version of Austin Power’s lair; I expected the sultry music of Enigma to start playing at any moment.

“Very well.”

He stood up leisurely and walked toward me extending his hand to take my drink. Without thinking I obliged and he took the glass from me and walked over to his custom mini-bar at the far side of the room. His back was toward me and I didn’t see what he was doing until I noticed, as he turned slightly, a bottle of Pepsi sitting on the counter. He brought my glass back to me full of Pepsi and fresh ice. My hand started to shake as I took the glass from him. He noticed but didn’t respond. I was way too nervous and he was way too close for my comfort. I took a big gulp from my drink and realized he added alcohol to it. I almost choked—it tasted like Rum. I tried to hand the glass back to him but he didn’t take it.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t drink alcohol.”

“My mistake, I thought it would help settle your nerves.” _Jackass_!

“I don’t need help settling my nerves.”

“You seem anxious.” Well yeah! He kept looking at me like I was his favourite dessert, of course I was anxious.

“I just don’t understand why you wanted to see me in here?”

“Do you mind the privacy?”

“Uh... well...” I took another big gulp from the glass without thinking. I felt the Rum hitting my system quicker than a shot in the arm, which was not a good sign. “So… why did you choose this room?”

“I didn’t want us to be distracted or interrupted.”

“Why?”

I finished the rest of the drink. He took the glass from me and quickly refilled it and again, without thinking, I took it from him and had a big gulp. The Rum was stronger this time and I realized exactly what he was doing.

“You intrigue me.” _So?_

“And...?”

“You have a very appealing scent...” I didn’t like where that was heading.

He peered into my eyes almost like he was trying to hypnotize me. I backed up immediately.

“I already addressed that issue with Pam. I’m not going to be anyone’s meal.”

“I’m not going to kill you.”

“Regardless... I’m not just going to let you bite me whether your intent is to kill me or not.”

“Why are you so averse to my attention?”

“I don’t even know you and quite frankly you have enough women around here that you can pay attention to.”

It was a miracle that I was able to speak in complete sentences. Suffice to say I was becoming intoxicated due to my low alcohol tolerance and my nervousness didn’t help matters at all. He was too beautiful to ignore and I hated that a tiny part of me enjoyed being near him. It’s like he emitted a sensual aura that drew in the objects of his desire and that was dangerous ground to be on.

“You’re not attracted to me?” _Yes… yes I was_... but I wasn’t about to admit it.

“I’m just not interested in frolicking with men I don’t know.”

“I’m not just any _man_.”

“Oh believe me, _I know_.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know me.”

“Well I’ve seen and heard enough.”

“If that’s the case I fail to see the problem.”

“Your arrogance is one.” He frowned.

“Excuse me?”

“You are accustomed to women swooning all over you but you need to realize that not every woman will react that way.”

He seemed to be surprised at my resistance despite the intoxication.

“I’ve only met two thus far.”  
“Really? Only two? Wow… I figured it would be more than that…” He frowned at my response.

“You and _Sookie_.” _Oh shit_... it seemed as though he made the correlation. I pretended to be clueless.

“Who?”

“Sookie Stackhouse.”

“Who the hell is that?” His lips went into a straight line.

“Another woman that isn’t influenced by my charm, and oddly enough she is a lot like you, in more ways than one.”

His eyes roamed over my body again. I became uncomfortable.

“Is she single?” I ignored the underlying suspicion in his comment.

“No. She is dating one of my subordinates.”

“Then it seems to me that she has good reason not to be influenced by your charm.”

“I’ve never encountered such obstinate women as you two.”

“I can’t speak for her but I can tell you with all certainty that I’m not about to change.”

I handed the glass to him and he put it on the bar. I walked to the opposite side of the room to get some space from him. In a blink he was in front of me again but this time he traced his fingers down the sides of my arms. It gave me chills and I tried not to react, _tried_. I had goosebumps and he noticed. I carefully removed his hands and then he slowly removed his sweater, throwing it on the couch and I stood there gaping at his chiselled chest and the luscious ripped abs that were tempting me to touch them. Having forgotten what it was like to stare at a man’s bare chest during an intimate moment, I was temporarily in awe of him. He used that opportunity to put his hands on my waist and that’s when I came to my senses.

“I should go…” I backed up but he followed suit.

“I can tell you’re aroused by my presence.” Ugh! Arrogant ass.

“Can you also tell how annoyed I am by your ridiculous insinuation that I would be so easily seduced by you?”

I removed his hands and I walked toward the door.

“Your arousal overrides the annoyance.” _No, actually it doesn’t_.

“I guess that explains why I’m walking out the door.”

I opened the door to leave but in a flash he shut it and locked it. He hovered over me as I backed up against it. He leaned against me, inhaling deeply. I could feel his muscles pressing against my chest. I was dangerously teetering on the edge of succumbing to his influence. It didn’t help that I could feel the rock hard bulge in his jeans pressing against me as though it was on an expedition. I took a deep breath.

“Stay.” He breathed into my ear and began kissing my neck. Holy hell… that felt good but I had to stop him.

“No.”

“You won’t regret it.” _Sure I wouldn’t._

Somehow I had a feeling that I would and that’s when his hands slid down my back, squeezed my butt, and pressed me against him. Instant heat rose from my loins. I almost forgot what it was like to have those urges. I had buried them for such a long time that I didn’t remember what it felt like to be in close proximity to a man, much less be aroused by one. However, that was the moment I officially put on the brakes.

“I would definitely regret it later.” I gently pressed my hands against his chest to push him away but he didn’t move.

“I’m quite certain you wouldn’t.”

His hands moved from my behind up my back and into my hair while his lips were slowly moving from the base of my neck toward my face.

“Eric, I have to leave, _now_.” I shoved against him harder. His hands were finding their way from my hair to my shoulders and I was certain of their next trajectory. “Get your damn hands off me this instant!”

That stopped him short and he took a step back.

“Why are you fighting this? I can feel your temperature rise when I touch you. You want this…” Great…so he knew my body was aroused.

“Just because my body involuntarily responds to your touch doesn’t mean that I want it to.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t expect you to—you’re too damn selfish.”

“What is wrong with you?” _You! You’re what’s wrong with me!_

“It’s your asinine assumptions!” He was stunned. “Since you’re older than anyone I’ve ever met before I'm sure you understand what the word _no_ means. What I don’t understand is why you can’t listen to it and respect it!”

He was speechless. It was one thing to be refused by a human who wasn’t attracted to him because she belonged to another vampire but for an unattached human who showed signs of arousal at his very touch to refuse him—that was another matter and it pricked his pride. He simply didn’t understand my stubbornness, nor did he realize that his behaviour had crossed a line. He never encountered that problem with human women. If he wanted to have sex with them, they more than willingly obliged, but me—I was a mystery to him.

I didn’t wait for him to respond. I grabbed my purse in anger, unlocked and opened the door, and ran down the hall without looking back. It was a good thing that Sookie could read my mind because I didn’t want to explain what happened and why I decided to leave the bar in such a hurry. Her eyes widened as I rushed by her and Bill. I didn’t stop to make small talk with anyone I kept going at full speed not caring what anyone thought. I brushed by the crowd at the entrance without apologizing. I almost made it to my car without being harassed, _almost_. I was surprised I could even keep my balance with the Rum pumping through my veins and taking its full effect.

“Nikki.” I turned to see Pam approaching me.

“What?” I snapped.

“Eric bids me to apologize on his behalf.”

“ _You_ didn’t do anything wrong, therefore you don’t need to apologize to me.”

“He is sorry he offended you.”

“I don’t think he is sorry at all, if you want me to be honest.”  
“He would like to talk you again.”

“Not. Going. To. Happen.”

“Why did you come tonight?”

“I don’t know but obviously it was a bad idea.”

“I don’t understand your aversion to Eric.”

“He’s a pompous ass.” She wasn’t expecting that.

“He is very important.” Like that was supposed to impress me, well it didn’t.

“So?”

“He is the Sheriff of Area 5 of Louisiana; it is a prominent position of authority.”

“That’s nice... what the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re not impressed with the stature or wealth of others?”

“No.”

“You and Sookie are so much alike.”

“What the hell is it with this comparison to a _Sookie_ person?”

“It’s odd how similar you are in personality and in appearance.”

“ _Okay_...” Uh-oh.

“And you have the same last name...”

“So?” I probably deserved an Oscar for my little performance.

“It’s a rather strange coincidence.”

“Pam are you trying to get at something or do you generally tell all of your patrons how they resemble someone else?”

“Eric thinks you are connected.”

“Well... based on your description I’d like to meet her—it seems that neither one of us takes his shit.”

“I do find it curious how the last couple of times I’ve seen you it was on the same night she was in the bar.”

“That’s my mission in life—to drive you and Eric nuts with curiosity.” I snapped again. She rolled her eyes.

“Never mind... obviously this is a coincidence, our mistake.”

I don’t think she bought my story but at least she wasn’t going to press the issue.

“So... what you are saying is that Eric’s only interest in me besides my appealing scent is a possible connection to this Sookie person?” She smirked.

“No, that’s not what I said.”

“You don’t have to say it, the implication is evident, and I assure you that I’m not going to come here again.” I opened my car door hastily but she stopped me from getting in.

“Do you really think it’s wise to drive while under the influence?” Oh damn it!  
“He did that on purpose didn’t he?”

“I don’t think he would like the idea of you driving back to Bon Temps while affected by alcohol. We have a responsibility to our patrons.”

“Really? What about not trying to seduce them every five minutes?”

“It’s par for the course.”

“Excuse me?”

“What did you expect coming to a vampire bar? This isn’t Applebee’s or Denny’s; we’re not a family restaurant, our patrons know what the environment is like.” _Ouch_.

“Okay fine… what the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t leave my car here and I have nowhere to go. I sure as hell am not paying for a cab all the way back to Bon Temps.” She steadied me as I almost lost my balance. “Fuck! This is why I don’t drink… it leads to more problems than anything else.”

From the corner of my eye I could see Sookie and Bill watching us as they exited the bar and Pam noticed. I certainly didn’t want her to suspect anything so I yelled at them.

“What the fuck are you looking at? Mind your own business!” I yelled at them while Pam smiled at my reaction.

“Our apologies.” Bill replied calmly as they walked away without looking back.

I looked at my watch it was almost 12:30 am. I leaned against the car. I was dangerously close to falling over but she helped me stay upright.

“Stop being so stubborn and let us assist you.”

“Fine.” I muttered with a scowl.

I followed her back in, at least I could sort of walk. Apparently the alcohol enhanced my scent because I had a hell of a lot more admirers than before. When the men approached us she brushed them off and told them to get lost. Then she led me down the hall back to Eric’s office.

“No.” I stopped in my tracks and put a hand on the wall to keep my balance intact.

“There isn’t any other place where I can let you sober up without being harassed every five seconds by an admirer.”

She had a point… the bar wouldn’t be closing for a while and the drunken patrons wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Fine.” She opened the door slowly and he was standing there, still bare-chested, staring at us expectantly.

“You can put a shirt on, _Mr. Smooth_.” I mumbled unimpressed.

I was still angry with him. Pam raised her eyebrows and he had the trace of a smile from the corner of his mouth. In a flash he put on a black t-shirt.

“Will this suffice?” Now he was goading me.

“ _Whatever_ …” I rolled my eyes.

I could feel the full effects of the alcohol and I stumbled to the leather couch. He tried to help me but I pushed his hands away and I practically fell onto it instead of just sitting down.

“Pam, get her a cup of coffee.”

“We don’t have any.” She put her hands on her hips.

“ _Then find a donut shop_ …” He stated firmly. “NOW.”

His tone was harsh but she complied at once and walked out of the room closing the door behind her. I leaned my head on the arm of the couch as my eyelids felt heavier and heavier. He sat beside me.

“Don’t get any bright ideas.” My speech was garbled and I heard him laugh.

“You should try to relax.”

“Kind of hard to do when you’re trying to seduce me every five minutes.”

“Point taken but it’s not my fault you have a very appealing scent.”

“Yeah… yeah…” I rolled my eyes.

I started to fall asleep but I didn’t want to and it seemed like I was losing that battle. I was slowly passing out. I had no idea how much time had passed before I heard the door open.

“Hmm, well apparently the coffee was a wasted effort.” She was annoyed.

“Pam.” His tone was firm.

“Should we leave her here? It doesn’t seem like she’s going to wake up any time soon.”

“I would prefer not to leave her alone.”

“Why not?”

“There is something about her that’s very unusual and I don’t want to leave her unprotected.”

“She is very stubborn.”

“She is exactly like Sookie.”

“She acts as though she doesn’t know who Sookie is.”

“I have serious doubts about that. They have similar scents although hers is potent and distinct. Also, there is the _coincidence_ that neither one of them can be glamoured.”

“I’m not buying her story. Stackhouse is an uncommon name but to have three of them in Bon Temps and not be related?”

“I want you to look into it and get back to me.” He replied.

“Why? You already have Sookie at your disposal.”

“I get the distinct impression Sookie isn’t the only one with a supernatural gift. Either way she is just as valuable as Sookie.”

“And equally attractive.”

“Indeed.”

“And quite mouth-watering.”

“And stubborn as hell.”

“What is it with the Stackhouse girls?” She asked, annoyed.

“They surprise me and that is a rare quality in a breather.”

“Very true. Although I haven’t seen Nikki with a man and she refused anyone who approached her either time she came here, I wonder if she has a preference for women.” Pam’s tone sounded hopeful.

“She appeared to be physically aroused when we were alone earlier.”

“But yet… she didn’t give in.”

“It’s bewildering to me.” He sighed.

“While I simply don’t have the patience to tolerate most humans, after studying Sookie and Nikki, they have a rather annoying sense of morality. Sookie seems determined to remain with Bill even though he is your subordinate and Nikki, well… based on her behaviour and her earlier arousal--she seems to be fighting the attraction she has for you, which makes no sense whatsoever.”

“It makes me curious.” He said quietly. “Why is she going to great lengths to avoid giving into me?”

“She’s far too cautious if you ask me.” Pam stated. “There’s more to this than meets the eye.”

“Then find out.” Eric said firmly.

That was the last thing I heard Eric say before I officially fell into an alcohol induced slumber.

Pain. My head felt like someone was taking a jackhammer to it. I didn’t want to open my eyes but when I felt an arm around my bare waist… I became concerned. I wondered what happened and just how much I had to drink. I didn’t remember falling asleep much less in the arms of a man. I sat up and the cool arm fell off my body. I was in my underwear but I didn’t remember taking my clothes off. I warily looked beside me to see who it was. Son of a bitch! It was Eric and he felt completely naked underneath the sheet. We seemed to be in a different room but it appeared to be connected to his office. It had no windows and it would have been pitch black if not for the tiny little lamp in the corner. I noticed a water bottle and a couple of aspirin on the nightstand. I carefully crawled out of the bed but that seemed to wake him up.

“Ginger will bring you coffee if you need it.” He whispered groggily.

“Who the hell is Ginger?”

“The human who looks after the bar during the day.”

“Where are my clothes and why am I in my underwear?”

“You became hot so I thought you’d be more comfortable if you were against my body.”

“So you removed my clothes?” There was a smile on his face.

“Yes and I’m not sorry I did.” _I bet you aren’t, jackass._

“You never give up.”

“No. Those words do not exist in my vocabulary.” _That figures_.

“Did we…?”

“No but I wouldn’t mind picking up from where we left off…” _You mean where you left off…_

I turned away from him and I reached for the aspirin and the water. He sat up with little regard to the sheet falling off his body and exposing his impressive lower anatomy. I turned around blushing as I gulped the water back and washed the aspirin down as quickly as I could. I felt his hand slowly running up my back and I remembered I was only in my underwear. _Shit!_ I couldn’t help but be attracted to him and I hated myself for it.

“Are you going to tell me where my clothes are?”

“I would prefer to remove the clothes you are still wearing.”

Ah crap. In a blink I felt my bra unclasp and it came undone. I moved away from him in a hurry as I desperately covered my chest with my hands. His fangs were out as he was leered at me. I turned around and faced the wall so that my back faced him.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“In the other part of the office.”

“I have to get them.”

“Such a pity. I’m admiring your fine assets.”

“You can stop admiring them I made my point clear last night.”

“You did but I also remember you admiring mine.”

He turned me around to face him and I purposely avoided looking down. I had no idea where my self-control was coming from. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen despite my refusal to admit it.

“Eric—I’m not going to have sex with you.” He frowned.

“Why not?”

“Because I have no intention of being another notch on your belt.” I walked away from him into the other part of the office which was also still pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. “Where is the damn light?”

He turned a lamp on in the corner. I noticed my clothes on the leather couch, along with my purse. I had my back to him as I clasped my bra, then I started getting dressed and he watched keenly.

“You’re more than a notch.”

“Yeah right… was Dawn?” He frowned at my reply. “You must think I’m so stupid…”

“No, I don’t—in fact you are the shrewdest human I’ve ever met and for your information… Dawn knew the score.”

“And now she’s dead.”

“Excuse me?” He frowned. “Is that an accusation?” He was angry.

How I wished that he would get dressed and put on the sexy pair of Calvin Klein briefs which I noticed were lying beside the bed. I didn’t want to be forcing myself to avoid looking at his lower anatomy. So I tried to imagine him in the underwear and mused that he had to get royalties for wearing them in front of so many women. I tried to focus and not stare at his appealing body, it wasn’t working.

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything.”

“It sounded like a veiled accusation.”

“Whatever… I thought you knew.”

“No, I did not but feel free to elaborate.”

His arms were crossed against his chest. I was staring at his nipples as though they were calling out to me. I wanted to bite them or take a picture or…

“Now…” He demanded. _Oh right, focus!_

“Someone is killing off the women in Bon Temps that have sex with vampires.”

“That is why you don’t want to have sex with me?” Why did he have to assume it was always about him? Idiot!

“Ugh! You are so damn conceited. I don’t want to have sex with you because I don’t just going around having sex with random men or vampires. You have screwed countless women without a thought and I’m worth more than that. I just happen to be upset that the women in my hometown are being murdered for associating with vampires.”

“You don’t like vampires.”

“That’s not true; I don’t discriminate against other supernatural beings.” His eyes narrowed as if I gave something away.

“You are keeping something from me, I can feel it.” Ugh! I wanted to kick his persistent ass.

“What are you… the barometer of human emotions?”

“I'm over a thousand years old; I know when a human is hiding something from me.” He was absolutely serious.

“Well you’re not my priest and I’m not about to confess anything to you.”

“Why are you so angry with me?” He asked with a furrowed brow while I was getting impatient.

“Because you think that just because you are some _Sheriff_ , or Viking vampire that women should just fall at your feet.”

“You are angry because women want to have sex with me?”

“No I’m angry because you expect them to give into your wiles and if they don’t you assume something is wrong with them. I’m angry that you discard women like tissues.”

“I have never lied to a woman. They freely have sex with me and none of them complain afterwards.” Ugh.

“Really? But you’ve admitted that Sookie and I are the only two who have refused?”

“That is correct.”

“And yet this is the second time you’ve tried to coerce me…”

“You are not like other human women.”

“I’m not and I never will be.”

“That fascinates me.”

“What is it with you? Why won’t you leave me alone?”

“I want _you_.”

“You can’t have me; go find some fangbanger.” I blurted and he frowned.

I left him standing there, still naked, while I picked up my purse and walked out of the office slamming the door behind me. When I walked into the bar area a skinny, tanned, blonde chick startled me.

“Hello there!”

“Oh… hi.”

“I got you some coffee.” She handed me a large Dunkin’ Donuts cup. “I didn’t know how you liked it so I got you everything.” I put the creamers and sugar in right away.

“Thank you.” I took a sip.

“You must be pretty special.”

“Uh—what?”

“I’ve never seen him help a human before.”

“Oh. Well… I kind of passed out on his couch. I didn’t feel well.”

“Still… that’s strange for him to let you stay here all night.” I _so_ didn’t care. “He doesn’t let humans to do that.”

I rummaged through my purse, ignoring her and praying that I had sunglasses at the bottom.

“Did you need something?”

“I have a bit of a hangover… I need a pair of sunglasses.”

“Here, you can have mine.” She handed me a pair that looked like John Lennon’s. I sighed but accepted them.

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” I put them on and headed toward the exit.

“Do you want me to leave a message for Master Eric?” Master? _Yeah tell him to go to hell and that he’ll never be my master._

“Could you thank him for helping me last night?”

“Sure thing.”

“Thanks…”

I hastily left the bar and walked into the blinding sun. The aspirin took its sweet time working its way to my head but at least my car was exactly where I left it, thank God. I got in, put the keys in the ignition and took off like a bat out of hell determined that I was never going back there again.


	2. Twist of Fate

When I got home I called in sick. I needed to sleep in. I was still hung over and the aspirin didn’t work. I put my earplugs in and put a pair of blindfolds over my eyes to keep the light out of my room. Out of nowhere I awoke with a start and looked at the clock. It was almost 10:30 pm and I realized I had slept the whole day away. I had a nightmare and the persistent feeling that something was wrong. I couldn’t shake the dream from my head—it felt the same as when my parents died. I rushed out of bed. I called Gran’s house in a panic. There was no answer. Since I lived on the opposite side of town I knew it would take me at least 20 minutes to get there. I put on a pair of sandals, grabbed my purse, locked my apartment and ran to my car. Some dumb ass old lady was driving about 10 miles an hour in front of me and every time I tried to pass her someone would be driving in the other lane. Finally… she turned down another street while I zoomed down the familiar road toward Gran’s. I was too late. I slammed my breaks the minute I pulled in the driveway and the ambulance was already there. Sookie was on the front porch talking to Sam.

“No!” I yelled as I ran toward them.

Bill came out of the house as soon as he heard me and Sookie was right in front of me. I was on my knees sobbing.

“You saw it?” Sookie whispered as I stared at her swollen, tear-soaked face.

“Some stupid ass old lady ahead of me was doing 10 miles an hour and I couldn’t get here on time.”

“It’s not your fault.” Bill stated firmly. Sam came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

“Come on Nik, I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” He helped me up.

I slowly walked up the porch and sat on the steps dejectedly. Sookie and Bill joined me. Sam frowned when he looked at Bill but I was preoccupied. I didn’t want to go inside the house. I knew what I saw in my vision and it was brutal. There was blood everywhere—it covered the kitchen. I couldn’t see who did it though and it made me angry.

“Sookie, you can’t stay here.” I remarked after about ten minutes of silence.

“I can’t just leave… this is my home.”

“You were the target… you do realize that right?” Sam and Bill looked at me.

“It’s okay, Sam and Bill are here. They will protect me.” When I gazed over at them they both nodded in agreement.

“Fine.”

At that moment they wheeled Gran’s body out on the stretcher. It was in a black body bag and I couldn’t see a thing but I felt nauseous, nonetheless. I ran off the porch, around the corner of the house, and threw up. Sam followed after me and was right beside me. I was on my knees and he held my hair back while I continually heaved. I stopped after five instances but my throat was raw.

“Is there anything I can do?” Sam asked while Bill walked over with a glass of water and a towel.

“Just protect Sookie, please.” I wiped my mouth with the towel.

“I promise you I will.” I stayed crouched on the ground and Bill gave me the water.

“Thank you.”

I drank the entire thing in less than 10 seconds and handed him the empty glass. I walked toward the front of the porch where Sookie sat with her head in her hands. I didn’t make it there… I fell to my knees as the agony pierced my heart. I began sobbing again and eventually passed out due to exhaustion—right into Sam’s waiting arms. He picked me up and carried me to my old room and when I woke up in the middle of the night I began crying again. The rest of the night Sookie and I cried ourselves to sleep and were awoken by nightmares of Gran’s death. Sam did me a favour and phoned my work to advise that I wouldn’t be in for a couple of weeks due to what happened. I decided to stay at the house with Sookie. Bill watched over us at night and during the day Jason would take shifts with Sam. I didn’t really do much. I just stayed in my room and stared out the window. Finally at the end of the two weeks I knew I had to get back to work even though I didn’t want to leave Sookie or Jason. She was fine with it and understood but I hated the fact I had to leave. I wanted to stay there but at the same time I knew it was better for me to stay busy so I didn’t obsess over Gran’s death. One thing was certain: our lives were never going to be the same.

Someone, probably Bill under orders, told Eric about Gran’s death. A bouquet of flowers and a card showed up at both my home and work with a simple message of condolences and his name at the bottom. It was unexpected and a bit sweet. Part of me wanted to call to thank him for the kind gesture but I shoved it to the back of my mind. The last thing I needed was to get involved with anyone, especially a vampire. I didn’t need that complication in my life. Things were bad enough trying to figure out who was on a killing spree. I didn’t need to invite more trouble.

It was two weeks later when we finally found out who the real murderer was. It was a fluke how we found out it was him. He left a work vest at Merlotte’s and Sam picked it up to put in the lost and found. He recognized scent from Dawn’s house after her murder. When Sam figured out who the real murderer was he took off to find him. By that point the real culprit had also killed Jason’s new girlfriend and Merlotte’s new waitress, Amy, and almost killed Sookie. They were in the nearby cemetery. Sam got there just in time to shift into a dog and attacked him as he was choking Sookie. He bit his neck and he yelped in pain. At that point Sookie had taken a shovel and rammed him in the side of the head with it. He slumped to the ground and Sam shifted back to his human form while Sookie collapsed to her knees and began sobbing.

Within seconds Sam called both Jason and I, to tell us what happened. We dropped everything and hightailed it to see her. I was angry at myself for not figuring it out. I didn’t get a vision of it although I wasn’t sure why. When we found out who the real murderer was we were stunned. It was one of Jason’s best friends and road crew, René. He was also Arlene’s fiancé.

Arlene was another waitress at Merlotte’s. She had been married a few times and this would’ve been number four. I swear I hadn’t met anyone who had worse luck with men than her. She felt terrible and could barely live with herself. I was just finally glad that the real murderer had been caught and stopped before he killed Sookie. It took a while before Jason and Sookie calmed me down for not being there to help her. I knew it wasn’t my fault but I felt guilty because I didn’t get a vision of it. Sookie had the hell beat out of her but at least she survived. Bill had offered his blood to heal her but she refused. I’m not sure why but I couldn’t blame her I guess. Maybe her scars were a reminder that she killed the guy who murdered our Gran. It would remind her that good overcame evil even when it didn’t seem like it would. At least that’s how I saw it. I couldn’t read her mind so I didn’t know for sure how she felt and she didn’t talk about it to anyone.

I didn’t return back to my apartment or my job until I knew that Sookie was safe. Bill, Sam, and Jason saw to that, thankfully, but we were forever changed.

*******

Several months had passed since the murders and Gran’s death but I still couldn’t put them out of my mind, especially her. After her death and funeral I was altered. By nature I wasn’t a boring person, I was exuberant, outspoken, comedic and passionate but those qualities were locked away so that I could live a dreary existence without attracting unwanted attention. After René went on a killing spree and they finally caught him I decided to maintain the monotony in my life because any alternative would put a target on my back or my family’s. I felt obligated to protect them from unsavoury attention due to my unique talent. If dating a vampire could set someone off then having unusual talents could result in much worse reactions. Therefore, I isolated myself from everyone to avoid building relationships. It was a means of self-preservation. I lost almost everyone who meant something to me: my parents, my grandfather, my aunts and uncles, two of my cousins, and then Gran. I almost lost Sookie. I grew up believing that anyone I loved had a target on their back and I would lose them. After a few unsuccessful relationships and then Gran’s murder I determined that there was no point in creating new relationships if they were doomed to fail or if the people would eventually disappear. I didn’t want a repetition of what happened to Gran.

Tara, Bill, Sam and Lafayette did their best to try to help us cope but it was almost impossible to convince someone that things will get better when life only seemed to get worse. Life was pretty much shit after that killing spree and our little town was never the same and most assuredly, Sookie and I were never the same.

******

It was unusually busy at the office for a Friday. Dr. Bartlett was running behind in his appointments and the patients were becoming increasingly irate. It added some colour to my otherwise boring day and I handled each situation appropriately. They were very appreciative of my courtesy despite their anger. Some of them were embarrassed at their own behaviour and apologized afterward. I didn’t mind. I assured them that we all had bad days and I could understand their frustration.

After countless days feeling like a robot in the course of my duties it was refreshing to have a deviation in my tedious routines. When the office was settling down for the day Dr. Bartlett personally apologized for the patients’ behaviour. I assured him everything was fine and I wasn’t offended. He made some remark about never wanting to lose me and that he was going to give me a raise. I politely accepted the gesture.

I wasn’t poor but I wasn’t exactly wealthy. I had a modest apartment a few blocks from the office and I owned a cute but used beige Honda Accord that I bought from a friend of Dr. Bartlett’s. I got a great deal on it and although I couldn’t confirm it, I was certain that he lowered the price for me on purpose. I didn’t really need anything extravagant anyway. I didn’t go anywhere or do anything. I had everything I needed and as a bonus I also had a modest savings account for emergencies. I knew I was better off than most people and I was thankful for what I had. Still, at the end of the day, my life was empty and felt pointless. I missed my parents, my aunts, uncles, cousins and most of all, Gran. The ache in my heart intensified and I almost couldn’t breathe.

I took a quick break and collected my thoughts in the bathroom while I splashed my face with cold water. Then I composed myself and returned to my desk. I stayed a little longer after work than I normally would have since the office was going to be closed on Monday for a holiday. I wanted to make sure everything was in order for Tuesday and that all the files were updated.

On his way out of the office Dr. Bartlett made me promise not to stay longer than an hour.

“I don’t want you working through your weekend.” He insisted.

“It’s only an hour.”

“You better make sure it’s only an hour.”

“I promise… now hurry up and get home to your wife. The flowers are waiting at the florist.”

“What would I do without you?”

“I’m not sure but it’s a good thing you have a few good back-ups. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

“Don’t jinx my office. I don’t care if I have a few good back-up receptionists—I never want to lose you. You’re the best employee I’ve ever had.”

“You do realize that I can’t work here forever and if another family emergency came up I’d have to take time off.” He sighed unhappily.

“I know but I’m praying that doesn’t happen again.” I smiled.

“Me too.” I replied. “Now get out and get home on time.”

“When are you going to settle down and get married?” That question was getting _so_ old.

“I think I need to find a qualified applicant first.” I joked and he laughed but he was serious.

“I know you will. There is a man out there who will see everything you have to offer and he won’t let you go.” If only.

_No thanks_ , I would rather stay alone.

“Until then I’m happy to have a platonic relationship with my TV, Blu-Ray player, and my computer.”

“They don’t take the place of a man.”  
“Actually they do but only when chocolate is thrown into the mix.” I replied.

He laughed hard and I gave him that look again.

“Ok… I’m leaving… don’t work too hard. It’s almost 5:30 now.”

“I promise…only an hour.”

“Maybe I’ll drive by later to make sure.”

“You’re stalling… go home.” I teased.

“Have a great weekend.”

“You too.”

I smiled as he walked out the front door and I locked the office. I continued with the paperwork and almost lost track of time but true to my word I stopped at 6:30 pm. I tidied the desk and I grabbed my purse. I shut off all the lights, activated the security system and locked up. I was going to go straight home but I had a hankering for Pepsi so I stopped by a local convenience store to get a bottle before making the usual turn toward my building. Since they were one of the rare places left that also rented movies I decided to pick up one of those as well. I ended up getting a romantic comedy with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. I had seen it before in the theatre when Sookie and I had ventured out on one of her nights off but it was good for another laugh. The clerk at the counter shook his head when he noticed the title.

“Chicks really dig this movie.”

“I sure like it.”

“Never saw it.”

“It’s hilarious.”

“Maybe I’ll see it.” He put everything in the bag for me as I plunked the money on the counter. “You know if you like movies I hear that there’s some great ones playing at the drive-in.” I smiled at the subtle hint.

“I’ll have to let my boyfriend know. Thanks for the info.” He nodded quietly and handed me the bag.

“Have a good weekend.”

“You too.”

It was just easier to pretend I had a boyfriend than explain why I didn’t date anyone. My boss knew otherwise but he was the only one. I just explained to him that I was too picky and I hadn’t met the right one. In essence that was partly accurate but the truth was I couldn’t care less so I avoided meeting men altogether. What was the point of meeting a guy if they were destined to leave?

During my walk home I felt the beads of sweat collect on my body from the humidity in the sweltering heat. It was par for the course. Living in the south ensured that you would be exposed to extreme heat and ridiculous humidity. I was lucky the office was air conditioned and it didn’t normally affect me. I wiped my forehead with a small towel I put in my purse. I always kept them handy when the temperatures rose to the extreme. After I put the towel back into my purse I thought I noticed something odd out of the corner of my eye but when I turned I didn’t see anything. I could have sworn I saw a suspicious looking guy across the street staring in my direction. I sighed, brushed it off, and kept walking until I finally approached my building.

I entered by the back door since my apartment was located on that side of the building. It was humid like a sauna and inside it was even worse since most of the windows were closed. It was stuffy and I felt even stickier the moment I walked into the hall. The first thing I planned to do was take a shower to rid myself of the accumulating perspiration that was dripping off my body and drenching my clothes. I was glad that I installed an air conditioner in my apartment. I wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise. I had to wonder if I was born in the wrong state or country. I hated humidity. I didn’t mind the heat but I couldn’t stand the thick, moist feel of the humidity in the air and how it covered you like a blanket.

I opened the door to my apartment and locked it behind me. The cool air embraced me as I walked in. I put the Pepsi in the fridge; my purse on the couch, the movie on the coffee table and I went into the bathroom to start the shower. I removed my sweat soaked clothes and put them in the laundry basket as I headed to the bathroom. I washed away the residue of the day, the unwelcome perspiration from the humidity, and I doused myself with vanilla scented body wash. I let the conditioner sit in my hair as I rinsed the soap off my body and then I finally rinsed my hair. I almost didn’t want to get out of the shower. It was just so refreshing. Finally, I shut the water off and reached for the towel.

After I swiftly dried off a little bit I went into the bedroom to get dressed but someone began to angrily pound on my apartment door, demanding that I open it. I quickly grabbed a clean sheet that I had placed on the end of my bed and draped it around myself as I answered the door.

“What’s all the fuss about?” I demanded as I opened the door a crack to look into the hall.

The landlord was staring at me apologetically while two huge men, who looked like they were contenders for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, towered over him. They had to be well over 6 feet tall. They were tanned and very muscular. I raised my eyebrows at the sight of them.

“I’m sorry Nikki but I had to give them permission to enter.”

“What? Why?”

“We need to search your apartment.” They pushed their way in, shoving me out of the way in the process.

“Excuse me but unless you’re a cop you can get your ass out of my place.” I was pissed.

“We don’t need their permission.” One of the angry males snapped at me while the other bared his fangs.

Great, they were vampires. I slowly backed away from them and wrapped the sheet around me even tighter.

“Take her downstairs to the common room with the rest of the tenants.”

Neanderthal number two gripped my arm and pulled me out as I barely clutched my sheet to my body.

“Hello! I'm in a sheet! I’d like to get dressed.” I remarked as I tried to shake my arm free.

“You’re fine.” He remarked.

I was grateful that I was covered up but my hair was still soaking wet and it was dripping on the light blue sheet that was concealing my nakedness. I suddenly became paranoid about the water affecting the concealment. When we got to the common room everyone’s eyes widened as they took in the sheet and wet hair. The odious jerk shoved me toward the others and then left the room. It was a good thing I didn’t lose my balance. There were a few other vampires who appeared to be guarding the door to make sure we didn’t leave. I just stood there in my sheet extremely uncomfortable with all the attention. I looked around to see if there was an unoccupied seat but they were all taken. A kind middle-aged man noticed what I was doing.

“You can have my seat.” He politely offered. “You need it more than I do.”

It was a very sweet gesture but he was sitting on a couch beside a twenty something guy who had been eyeing me the entire time. The last thing I wanted to do was sit beside him but I didn’t want to be rude to the courteous man.

“Thank you.”

I adjusted the sheet so that everything remained covered as I sat down. I intentionally sat as far away from the other guy as I could but I noticed him edge closer and smile. I half-heartedly smiled but looked toward the vampires who were guarding the exit. One of them was wearing a mask, which I thought was very strange. It was the same Ghostface mask from the _Scream_ movies. It had a sinister black and white face which was connected to a black hood that covered the rest of his head. He kept looking in my direction and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

“So did you just get out of the shower or something?” _No, I usually walk around in my apartment soaking wet and naked_.

“What’s going on?” I ignored his question.

“I don’t really know. I think they’re looking for someone.” He stared at my chest and made no attempt to hide it. After about five minutes I was annoyed.

“You can stop staring at my chest! There is no way in hell that the sheet is going to magically unwrap itself and give you a peek.”

He turned red, then abruptly got up and walked to the other side of the room. The girl on the other side of him snickered and smiled approvingly at me.

“Good one.” She whispered and I winked at her.

I noticed one of the vampires stifle a laugh but the tall ominous masked vampire kept staring in my direction. I tried to avoid looking at him but I couldn’t help it and he didn’t stop staring. After a while I just leaned against the back of the couch, rested my head against one of my hands and closed my eyes. My mind began to wander and I was happy for the distraction.

I had to wonder if any of them knew what it meant to have basic manners, even in their human lives. They were just so rude and abrupt not giving much thought to how their actions affected the humans around them. Not all of them were like that but it appeared that most of them were. It reminded me of Eric and I was trying hard not to think about him. A loud noise jolted me from internal musing.

“You can go back to your apartments now.”

I opened my eyes to see the landlord had walked into the room and broke the silence. _Finally_! After what felt like the longest hour in history about five different vampires walked into the room and began talking to the others. They were whispering amongst themselves but kept looking over in my direction. I felt very uneasy. I didn’t know what they were looking for but when a group of menacing vampires are staring at you... you have to wonder if you’re going to be their next meal.

“What the hell was that about?” One of the tenants demanded.

“Unfortunately I can’t disclose those details.” He replied. “But you can return to your apartments now.”

“Seems to me that if someone is raiding our building we have a right to know the reason.”

Oh boy... the arrogant guy who sat beside me was now snapping at the landlord and the vampires frowned.

“You should be grateful we didn’t find any illegal activity.” Snapped one of the vampires.

That shut the rest of us up. I just couldn’t imagine what kind of criminal activity would cause them to search our building. One by one the tenants left the room. I was determined to stay where I was until I was the last one to leave. I noticed that a few of the vampires lingered as the tenants left. They were still staring at me and whispering amongst themselves. I began to get anxious and I was getting a bad feeling about being the only one left behind in the presence of these predators. I was too late though and when the last person left I stood up and readjusted my sheet. I was about to walk out when the vampire with the mask grabbed me at the base of my neck and hastily directed me out of the room and down the hall. It was good there were only three floors to the building because he practically dragged me up the stairs.

“You might want to consider that it’s not easy to walk while I’m draped in a sheet.”

He sighed in annoyance and threw me over his shoulder like a caveman would capture his woman. He put me back on my feet once we were at the top floor.

“Yeah… _thanks_.” _Jerk off._

He gripped my arm and began pulling me down the hall in a hurry. We finally stopped at the corner unit and he unlocked the door. He practically shoved me through the entrance. I didn’t know if I should be angry or scared. I had no idea what was going on and why he brought me to this other apartment. He turned on a few lights and walked into the bedroom. I really didn’t want to follow him in there but he motioned for me to enter. So there I was wrapped in a sheet standing in the bedroom of an unfamiliar apartment having a moment of unease with a strange vampire. I had no idea what was going to happen and I was nervous but then he suddenly sat down on the bed and finally took his mask off in an exasperated gesture. That’s when I realized why he had singled me out and brought me up to the apartment. It was Eric. _Great._ The last person or undead person I wanted to see. Why the hell did he think he had a right to be exasperated? He was the rude prick who abruptly yanked me up 3 floors without an explanation. If I hadn’t complained about the difficulty in walking with a sheet draped around me he would have let me stumble all the way to the top.

It seemed like there was no limit to his intrusive behaviour. I didn’t understand his stupid infatuation with Sookie or me for that matter. He had been trying to coerce Sookie to leave Bill for almost a year and the last time I saw him he unsuccessfully attempted to seduce me for the second time. Now I just figured that he was spying on me because of his obsession with her or was going to try to manipulate me in some way so he could maneuver her away from Bill so she would finally succumb to his influence. I sighed. He was quite aware that neither Sookie nor I could be _glamoured_ or hypnotized for his purposes. However he was unaware of my gift and I didn’t want to reveal it to him lest he also became unduly infatuated with me more than he already was. I had already pictured what would happen if he became conscious of my visions. It was easy enough to predict without foresight: Sookie and I would be known as the _psychic twins_ and subsequently be involuntarily auctioned off to the highest bidder, or in Eric’s case quite possibly his bed twins. _Right_ -like that would happen, _not_. I sighed again.

While I contemplated all of this internally he decided to slowly undress and remove clothes from a dresser intending, I was sure, to give me a glimpse of his fine muscular physique and bikini brief underwear. It had been far too long since I had gazed upon any man’s physique, other than his, much less someone who could be the poster boy for Calvin Klein. At the sight of this I blushed and immediately walked out of the room. I walked over to the patio and opened the door to stand on the balcony. It was nights like these that I needed Gran. I just wanted to feel her comforting arms around me, assuring me that everything was going to be alright. But it wasn’t. She was never coming back and the ache intensified. It didn’t feel like anything was ever going to be alright again.

A hand on my shoulder broke me out of my temporary daze and it startled me.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone. It’s not safe.” _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

“What?”

“Let’s go back inside.” He replied quietly.

His cool hand felt great on my skin but I was still in a bed sheet. I abruptly brushed by him to go back into the apartment. I was very uncomfortable because I had no idea what his intentions were and I remembered how much I was attracted to him. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I was trying not to remember what he looked like naked, it wasn’t working. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and then looked up at him.

“Obviously, you know that Sookie and I are related, right?” I had to assume after all of his spying he finally figured it out.

“Yes. I knew it that first night, despite your performance.” Ugh.

“I'm not going to apologize for lying. She is my cousin and I was looking out for her. Evidently you know we’re both stubborn and not easily controlled by others.”

“Yes.”

“Look, I mean no disrespect to your position of authority, I know you are the _‘Sheriff’_ of some county, town or area but you must realize that Sookie is independent from all of that. She is separate from you and I don’t take kindly to people trying to use or manipulate her or people who simply don’t give a shit about her.” He stared at me intently while I slowly repeated myself. “Again I mean no disrespect to you…”

There was a slight curve at the corner of his lips. I became uneasy. His gaze lingered on my body and I instantly became anxious. I looked down at myself and gasped; during my little rant I had problems keeping the sheet wrapped around me and to my horror, just as I finished speaking to him, the sheet had become undone therefore exposing most of my ample chest. Flustered, I turned away from him to re-adjust it mumbling something like _‘stupid sheet’_ and when I turned around he was standing right in front of me. He towered over me and looked down with a sly smile on his face, exposing his fangs in the process. _Oh no_! He slipped a cool hand underneath the sheet onto my upper thigh and leaned in to kiss my neck while inhaling deeply as he moved his body against mine. I was stunned and couldn’t move. I was like a deer caught in the headlights just before being hit at full impact. I started to breathe very slowly and deeply. He looked me up and down with a smug expression.

“I almost forgot how appealing you are.” He stated quietly. I composed myself and backed up away from him.   
“You need to tell me why you dragged me all the way up here.” I interjected, trying to change the subject.

“Later.”

He was in front of me again and I was having a hard time staying away. I forgot how appealing he was and I drawn to him without understanding why. It wasn’t the first time I had noticed an attractive man but Eric was different. He wasn’t just an attractive guy. He was a gorgeous thousand-year-old Viking vampire. He looked like a golden god and, if you lingered in his presence too long without guarding yourself, he had a presence about him, an aura that immediately drew you in like a fly to a spider’s web. I took a deep breath while his eyes roamed over my body. He was quiet, too quiet. He looked at his watch quickly and then resumed staring at me.

“In a hurry?” I asked nervously.

“No but we’re on the clock.” We???

“Then don’t let me keep you…” I replied and backed up somewhat.

“I have time to spare for you…” He moved in front of me again, leaned down to kiss me but I finally found my voice.

“I'm not sure this is a good idea…”

“I'm certain this is a great idea…” He purred seductively.

“Well I'm not…” I whispered as I shivered.

“You have nothing to fear from me.” He replied. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

“Maybe not physically…” I replied quietly.

“You’re afraid to open up to me.” He stated and I didn’t answer. “I suppose I understand why. It’s hard to trust someone new when you’ve lost people you care about.” What?

“Who told you?”

“Bill.” He replied. “If it helps… I'm his superior and he didn’t have a choice but to be forthcoming when I inquired about your past.”

“I'm not angry.” I commented. “Though I probably should be.”

“I was concerned for your safety after you mentioned someone was murdering women who had been with vampires.”

“But _I_ haven’t been with vampires.”

“But you have been to Fangtasia twice and Sookie is Bill’s partner. You could have been marked guilty by association.”

“So you kept tabs on me— _us_?”

“Yes.” He replied unapologetically.

“But why?” I asked in shock. “I was rude, abrupt, and scorned your advances.”

“I don’t know why.” He replied. “And when I found out about your grandmother’s death and Sookie being attacked I felt _anxious_.”

“That’s why you sent me the flowers and the cards?”

“Yes.”

“Because you felt _anxious_?”

“No, that’s why I’ve kept tabs on you.” He replied.

“Why did you send me flowers and cards?”

“The answer should be obvious.” He replied quietly. And he said I didn’t want to open up to him? He was stiff as a board.

“It isn’t obvious _to me_.” I replied.

“I was concerned about you.”

“You mean you actually _cared_ that I was hurting…” I asked bluntly.

“Yes.” He answered and exhaled deeply as though he revealed something he wanted to keep private.

This was a big deal for him to admit. I couldn’t remember hearing about him having real feelings for anyone other than himself and his overinflated ego. It was a well-known fact that Eric looked after himself and didn’t take anyone’s feelings into consideration unless he stood to gain something from it. I kept looking up into his eyes and after a moment my expression softened and I finally said something.

“I'm sorry I didn’t respond.” I replied. “I thought about calling but it’s been hard to deal with it all and I’ve felt kind of lost.”

“Understandably so.” He whispered and put a hand on the side of my face.

I didn’t flinch and I didn’t want to move away. I knew he was sincere but I was nervous, nonetheless. It had been far too long since I had allowed myself to get close to a guy, let alone a gorgeous Viking vampire who seemed to arouse my curiosity and libido. I was vulnerable and he knew it. Part of me wondered if he had become aware of my precognition like he had a heightened ability to determine that I was also _unusual_ like Sookie. It was as though he sensed it and was immediately drawn to me. After his admission there was a marked difference in his demeanour and I became worried, absolutely aroused by his touch _,_ but very worried about what this would mean for my future and for Sookie’s. I was still acting like that deer hypnotized by the lights. I couldn’t move an inch. My emotions were all over the place and I could scarcely believe what was happening. My resolve to hate him was gone, my willpower had disintegrated, even in the light of the disturbing memories that resurfaced of the time he previously tried to seduce me… everything paled at that moment when he admitted he cared about me. I looked at him differently and I truly beheld his magnificence.

He saw this as a greenlight and leaned down to kiss me. Unlike before I didn’t push him away nor did I want to. All caution went out the window the moment he kissed my lips and I returned the kiss with fervour. It didn’t take long after that for Eric to disrobe. It felt surreal, as though I was dreaming. It had been such a long time since I had a meaningful interaction with a man let alone an intimate one; in fact the last time was over 8 months prior when I ran out of his bar hung over. The most beautiful man I had ever seen was slowly moving my arms around his naked waist. He gently lifted my chin and stared intently into my eyes. What was wrong with me? I felt like I was entranced by the ice blue eyes staring back at me. I knew he wasn’t trying to hypnotize me but I couldn’t look away from his gaze. Whatever irritation I had toward him vanished. I couldn’t think about anything else. He removed the sheet that was draped around me and let it drop to the floor. An intense heat surged upward from my loins and whatever apprehension I had simply disappeared the minute he pulled me against him. He bent his head down and kissed me again and again, I had no problem returning the kiss. 

What had I been missing? I had never been kissed like that before. I may not have had a ton of boyfriends but it suddenly occurred to me that most men didn’t know a damn thing about how to kiss a woman because it felt like this was the first real kiss I _ever_ had. I moved my hands up his chest and over his shoulders gently feeling their way down his arms. I was finally breaking out of whatever trance I was in and was responding to his touch he intensified the kiss, as if that was even possible. I thought I was going to collapse from the effect of it. He gently pulled away from my face looking very eagerly at my body. He very softly but smoothly ran his hands from my neck to my collarbone then over my breasts. His hands felt their way over my waist and stomach then he pulled me tight against him as his hands suddenly grasped my lower back and came to rest on my behind.

I was on fire; I expected to see flames rising from every part of my body except that his cool body against mine was the perfect antidote for the heat. It became all too obvious at that moment the rumours about vampires, and in this case Eric, were true. I remembered the fangbangers told me that sex with a vampire was the best they ever had. I never believed them before, first of all because a menacing monster is not my kind of fun and secondly I figured vampires were so selfish that they didn’t really care about whether the human enjoyed the experience. I thought that they just hypnotized the humans into thinking it was the best so that they would continue to let them bite them or have sex with them. I certainly was being proven wrong. We weren’t even having sex, _yet_ , and I already felt like this was the best erotic experience I ever had, and it wasn’t over.

He scooped me up in his arms while kissing me gently on the lips and laid me down on the bed. And that’s when the stage fright hit! I was suddenly very nervous. I almost fell off the bed and it would’ve been a comedic moment in the middle of an erotic moment if he hadn’t grasped my side to keep me from falling and pulled me close to him. My heart was pounding wildly as he gently positioned himself on top of me. I couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt just to have his cool body pressed against mine. I wondered what to expect because he was well endowed. I was anxious about continuing and without a doubt I wasn’t going to stop but I wondered if I was going to be in pain afterward. However; he was being so gentle and conscientious of my every move that I seriously doubted he would hurt me, even by accident. He very carefully moved my legs apart and raised my right leg. Was I having an out of body experience? That was _not_ the same Eric! I had witnessed his arrogance firsthand at Fangtasia and then there were the devious plots to remove Bill from Sookie’s life. He was acting too gentle to be that same person then it occurred to me that he wasn’t a person he was dead.

How could someone so dead feel so good? He hesitated just before he was about to enter me and for a moment it was as though he was uncertain this was the right course of action. Was he unsure of himself? Eric never doubted his actions or had second thoughts. What the hell was wrong? I started to feel paranoid because the real Eric was completely self-assured and wouldn’t have hesitated one bit.

“Um… is something wrong?” I asked tentatively, afraid to hear the answer.

“Your scent is so familiar to me…” _Yeah…thanks._

He looked confused almost as if he just came out of his own trance. _Great_ … well it was kind of bad timing to bring that up. I was going to explode from unrequited desire. His hesitation was killing the mood and very quickly.

“That kind of puts the fire out… I guess we’re done here?” I was annoyed.

I felt like an idiot. For the first time in years I was actually attracted to someone and let my guard down but now he was having doubts? It wasn’t like him to be so unsure, not from his previous attempts to seduce me. He totally ruined it for any other guys now, yeah _thanks a lot_ Eric. Ugh!

“You’ve never had my blood.” He stated and it wasn’t a question. Uh, _sick_ —no obviously I hadn’t.

“Not unless you know something I don’t?” I thought he was about to tell me, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

“You smell like Sookie…but…” He wavered.

Oh great thanks for bringing _that_ up. I wasn’t one to feel like the second choice before but the shoe definitely fit. He got off me and knelt in front of me, still obviously aroused, it was kind of hard not to notice given that he didn’t bother to cover up and his burgeoning member was eagerly pointing in my direction.

“Okay… well I’m sorry I’m not the _real_ thing.” I was pissed. “I’ll just leave you to your ridiculous obsession with my cousin…”

Given the fact he was kneeling on top of the sheet on the bed and I was underneath it there was no way I was going to be able to pull it out from under him so pulled myself out from under it, got up and hastily walked to the door. I picked up the other sheet he had discarded only moments earlier and wrapped it around myself again. He didn’t like that and it was apparent he was annoyed. _Are you kidding me_? If he wasn’t so big and strong I would have kicked his ass.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with Sookie, where are you going?” He honestly had no clue why I was angry.

“You just said I smell like my cousin the very person you’ve been obsessed about for the better part of a year. The one whom you have plotted to maneuver away from Bill, which I’m assuming is the real reason why you came to this building to spy on me, and yet you don’t know why I’m upset?”

I was hurt. The realization of my own confession hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned away from him. I heard his steps come up behind me slowly. He placed his hands on my shoulders and very carefully turned me around to face him. He looked uneasy and was very irritated with being uneasy. I felt like I needed to see a therapist. After losing so many family members it was weighing heavily on my heart and then I came home to be confronted with a volatile vampire invasion in my apartment complex, pulled out of my own apartment soaking wet in a sheet, practically dragged into another apartment only to experience what felt like rejection from someone who looked like a Scandinavian god. All of my inhibitions had been washed away in a matter of seconds when he told me he cared for me and when touched me only to have them all return within seconds due to his uncertainty in following through. He was the last person I wanted to be vulnerable to. He looked deeply into my eyes as though he was trying to draw out my secrets. _Uh-oh_. He knew.

“I have not been obsessed with Sookie for the last year.”

“Right… that’s why you kept trying to break her and Bill apart.”

“Actually all that changed after I met you.”

“But yet I smell like her, my scent reminds you of her…”

“You misunderstood me. You smell like her but your scent is much more potent, it’s intoxicating. It was like you were trying to glamour me, as though you were controlling me with your mind.” WTF?

No wonder he felt confused. How could I have that effect on him? Now I was confused.

“Were you?” He demanded sternly. Was he serious? His facial expression confirmed that he was.

“ _What_? Was I trying to control you with my mind? Are you kidding? How the hell could I do that? You’re the one who grabbed me and brought me up to this apartment. You’re the one who proceeded to use my obvious vulnerability to your advantage and then intensifying the effect by admitting you cared about me. Then you undressed yourself _and_ me, you’re the one who instigated all of this and yet you ask me if I was making you do that with some kind of mind control? I’m not a vampire. How the hell could I have any kind of control over you?”

“I didn’t have any ulterior motives during our conversation.” He replied stiffly.

“Fine, whatever…” I replied.

“You have a strong aura… and for a moment it felt like you were trying to take advantage of my vulnerability.”

He was vulnerable? Could a vampire have a mental breakdown? Or was I missing something so obvious? Sookie’s telepathy obviously affected the scent of her blood; Eric had been so intoxicated by it that he had tricked her into forming that blood tie with him but he never had my blood nor I his, yet he was acting as though he was bound to me. Did my psychic gift offer a specific potency to my blood that affected anyone who got close to me? What the hell was I missing?

“Are you serious?” I asked wide-eyed. “How the hell could anyone take advantage of you?”

Before I could contemplate it any further my mind got a quick glimpse of the future… I was with someone familiar, an older but beautiful man, with pointed ears and long white hair. His clothing resembled something like Gandalf the White or the elves from The Lord of the Rings. He was shaven, radiant, beautiful and appeared to be some sort of elf-fairy. He was in the midst of telling Sookie he was her great-great grandfather.

Just like that the vision stopped. What the hell was that? What just happened? I had a great-great grandfather who was an elf-fairy? I had elf-fairy blood? Holy crap—the pieces just fell into place. While the members of the supernatural community weren’t well known; some indisputable facts about some of them were. Elf-fairies had a scent so powerful it almost completely controlled any vampires who came in close proximity to them. I came across that little fact completely by accident one day when I overheard Sookie’s boss, Sam, talking about his experiences with other supernaturals. It became all too obvious that was the real reason why Eric was infatuated with Sookie and now I was having the same strange effect on him. I became a statue. Only seconds had passed. I didn’t think he noticed but my expression might have changed. _Crap_. I was in way over my head. I had no idea what to do. He didn’t move but he raised his eyebrows.

“I’ve never encountered a scent more potent than yours in my entire existence. It makes me uneasy.”

“I'm making _you_ feel uneasy?”

“Yes… but your scent makes me want you more than I’ve wanted anyone else, _ever_ , including Sookie.” 

Well that was unexpected and suddenly my loins were on fire again, _damn it!_ He had the same effect on me that I had on him. How the hell did he do that? He never felt that way before well neither had I and I didn’t like the influence he had on me. As much as I _wanted_ him right that second… I had to back away. He wouldn’t let me.

“What are you saying? What does this mean?”

Nothing intelligent came to mind, I was at a loss. I was also trying to keep myself from pushing him back on the bed and jumping onto him, as if I was physically strong enough to do that.

“I don’t know what this means. I only know I want you, right here and now, and not just for one night.” 

“You don’t even know me, not really.”

“I know more about you than you realize.” I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that.

“So my scent suddenly makes you want me as your concubine?” I replied sarcastically and it made him smirk.

“I see your sarcasm remains intact.”

“That’s not going to change.” I replied.

“Good.” He smiled. “And for the record you’re more than just a concubine.”

I was on fire all over again and he wasn’t even trying to arouse me. I wanted to hate him, I wanted to slap him in the face based on his previous behaviour at Fangtasia, but I couldn’t and the mere sight of his naked body was like an aphrodisiac. He put a hand on the side of my face and at that very moment I got another glimpse of the future: we were standing in the front yard of a gorgeous unfamiliar house. He sensed a potential threat but he instantly pulled me behind him and took a protective stance in front of me. Then the vision ended. I didn’t see who it was or specifically where we were. I guess my gift didn’t exclude vampires, or maybe he was the exception to the rule. He noticed the change in my countenance.

“What just happened? You appeared to be in a trance.”

Hmm, he didn’t notice this before when I got the vision of my elf-fairy great-great grandfather.

“Nothing… this is just sort of overwhelming. I don’t know what to feel right now.” _Please buy that_.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, _again_. His fangs were still out. I never really noticed they were out the whole time; I was just mesmerized by his piercing blue eyes, prominent pectorals, and toned abdominals. Damn but he had a gorgeous body. He opened his eyes and they were smoldering.

“I think you feel exactly the same way as I do.”

There was no uncertainty in his voice this time. I knew exactly how he felt, he was pressing against me and it was evident that he meant what he said. Damn it! I didn’t like admitting to someone else when they were right especially when it made me feel vulnerable. I clutched the sheet tight enough to make my knuckles turn white. I didn’t want to lose control again. So much for that, he deftly removed my grip from the sheet and it fell to the floor again. He pulled me against him and began kissing me like it was our last night on earth. I lost my hold on control. I gently reached around his back and let my hands settle on that gorgeous butt of his. Wow—that did it. He suddenly moved his mouth from mine and trailed a path down my neck toward my breasts. I could feel the fangs lightly scraping where his mouth kissed. I was beyond being on fire I could have been the sun for how hot I felt. I inhaled deeply. In a blink he picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. In a flash we were on the bed again this but time with no hesitation at all. He laid me on my back as he continued to caress my breasts then moved down toward my stomach. There was no stage fright now, _hell no_. I could barely contain myself, my breaths were coming stronger and he was well aware of it. He looked right into my eyes as though to see if I was ready or not, as if he didn’t know the answer to that question. He smiled and lowered himself onto me. At that exact moment I wrapped my legs around him tightly. It surprised him but he couldn’t restrain himself any longer, he entered me slowly at first to gauge my reaction. Wow. No worries there. My hands gripped his back, my nails dug into his skin and it stimulated him all the more. He picked up the tempo and I thought I was going to lose my mind. I moaned quietly at first but then it got louder. He kissed me on the lips and then he eyed my neck… unfortunately common sense had left the building the very second he entered me and I gave him the go ahead without thinking about the possible repercussions. I got caught up in the moment. I never thought I would agree to allow a vampire bite me but I was being proven wrong, yet again. He bit my neck right then and for a brief moment the initial piercing hurt but the pleasure that followed intensified like nothing I had ever experienced. He didn’t take much blood but at that exact moment we both climaxed simultaneously. I felt like I should have landed on Mars with the momentum of the orgasm I had. He shouted something that sounded like Swedish while my resounding response would have disrupted the neighbours within a one-mile radius. Wow. I was exhausted. He didn’t move and neither did I. He just lied on top of me, gently licking my neck. It soothed me, somehow. I should have felt completely disgusted about him biting me but I didn’t. I felt comforted and hell that was the best sex I had in my entire life. I could never have sex with a human again, _ever_. He definitely ruined it for human men. Damn it. He looked at me, expectantly, as though he was waiting for me to say something. What would I say? What could I say?

“Um...wow.” I commented. “I guess the rumours are true.” He smirked.

“It’s one of the reasons why people hate us.”

“It would be one of the top reasons to love you, not hate you.” I blurted. “Is it always like that?”

“With me it is.” He replied proudly.

If that was truly the case, then I could easily see myself becoming addicted to him. It was all I could do manage to stay coherent due to my sex-drunken stupor. I could barely move; I was just too relaxed. I didn’t want to move. He could stay on top of me for the rest of the night and it wouldn’t bother me one bit. He smiled.

“You taste amazing.” Okay… that was a unique compliment, but at least I knew why he said that.

“Well that’s not something I hear every day…” I smiled.

“I’ve never waited that long to have sex with someone in my entire existence, I thought I was going to lose my mind.”

“Oh.” That was brand new information I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or feel like a conquest that he conquered.

“It was certainly worth the wait.” He commented. That was a relief but now what?

“Well… that’s good, _I guess_ …” I mumbled unsure of how to react.

“You have a supernatural ability that you are reluctant to tell me about.”

That was one way to change the subject. No shit, of course I didn’t want him to know. After the life-altering sex we just had I didn’t want to give him any more power over me.

“What?” I was going to play dumb on this one but a small part of me wanted to trust him—why?

“I can taste the difference in your blood. You don’t taste like any other human, you’re completely different and you’re related to Sookie who has a supernatural gift.” Son of a bitch...I could see where this was going…

“And….?” I wanted to know what he was thinking.

“You don’t trust me.” He whispered. Of course I didn’t and my expression probably gave it away.

“Do I have a reason _not_ to trust you?” I asked suspiciously.

“I’ve never felt so tightly bonded to another human before and the remarkable thing is that you haven’t had my blood. A bond of this magnitude only happens when I have given someone my blood.” 

That was true. I remembered Sookie talking about blood ties and his blood tie to her. It was a pretty strong bond, or so I thought.

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at…” Which was true.

All I knew was that I didn’t want him to leave, I was sure he could sense that though and that is what worried me.

“I can tell you don’t want me to leave.” My eyes widened as he was right on target.

“Uh…..” _Damn it._

The admission of my vulnerability to him made me uncomfortable. I suddenly wanted to leave but he wasn’t having that. He kissed me on the lips very lightly. _No damn it, don’t do that_! I didn’t want to get worked up again. I was trying to push my hands against his chest but he was aroused again.

“You don’t like to feel controlled by someone else.” He smiled slyly. Of course I didn’t but neither did he.

“Neither do you, _Sheriff_.” His eyes narrowed. Oooh- _that_ got a reaction. We were more alike than I thought and he knew it. 

“No. I don’t like having feelings but…”

His hands began to move over my body again and the fire returned. _Crap_. My body betrayed me and my mind was trying to stay focused but it was losing the battle, very quickly.

“But what….?” I tried to distract him but it wasn’t working.

“I like the way you feel…” He whispered into my ear as he began to kiss my neck.

That gave me shivers all the way down my body. Well it was obvious how he felt; he was pressed against my inner thigh and it left very little to the imagination. I ached to have him inside me again and it was noticeable. He could easily read my body language. How could I get out of this?

“Why are you trying so hard to fight this?” He asked.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking and what you are planning to do with me.”

“You mean aside from the obvious?” He purred in my ear and then there was that smug grin again.

“Yes aside from the obvious.”

I just didn’t want to become some fangbanger he tossed aside when he was done. I had an idea of what he was thinking but I wanted to see ahead into the future. I got a glimpse of how he was going to protect me so he wasn’t entirely dishonourable but why the hell couldn’t I get a complete breakdown of that vision right now? My gift was so inconvenient. He didn’t answer my question though. He creatively distracted me by latching his mouth onto one of my breasts and I was gone. My breathing intensified and I just simply lost the will to care about anything else. He gently sucked on my nipples as the fangs lightly pressed against my breasts. With a swift movement he lied down beside me, turned onto his side and moved me on my side with my back facing him. He pulled me tightly against his body and then he entered me from behind while his hands roamed over my breasts. Holy crap, how could this feel better than the first time? The heavier I breathed and moaned the harder he pushed. How on earth was I going to walk the next day? I had the feeling that I was going to be in pain but at that moment it just felt so worth it. He whispered into my ear.

“Drink from me.”

Was he serious? He wanted to make this bond even stronger and I was in such ecstasy I found it hard to refuse. In fact I didn’t want to. I was almost under his influence even without the effect of being glamoured.

“What? Why?” I barely breathed out.

“It makes it better….”

“It makes this better? How?”

He didn’t reply. I only felt his breath on my neck as he kept moving inside me. How could it be better than this? I heard a crunching sound at that moment and he put the inside of his wrist against my mouth. I could smell his blood and it had the opposite effect I thought it would. Instead of being repulsed by it I was instantly voracious. My mouth clamped onto his wrist with such intensity that he moaned louder and deeper than previously. If there was a scale of 1 to 10, the pleasure principle skyrocketed to 100. I kept drawing from his wrist until my body convulsed with what felt like three orgasms all at once. I wasn’t the only one. We both kept shaking for a couple of minutes while our breathing calmed down. His arms held me tight against his chest. I instantly felt different after taking his blood. Something had changed in me. I immediately sensed something… very strong emotions. Oh crap. I hoped it didn’t mean what I thought it meant. I didn’t consider how his blood would affect my gift. I could tell that he didn’t want to let me go. It was crystal clear. He didn’t want anyone else to have me and he didn’t want me out of his sight. He was thinking about turning me. I just didn’t know the timeline. I could literally see it, as though I could read his mind but I had never heard nor seen someone’s thoughts before. Sookie had that gift and not usually with vampires. Occasionally, unknown to them, she caught a glimpse here and there but I would _never_ divulge that. There I was in the same position. I knew what he was thinking and feeling. I felt my body stiffen.

“You are tense.” He whispered in my ear. “What are you thinking?” As if he didn’t feel the conflict in my emotions.

“You mean you don’t already know?” I was trying to be casual but I was serious as the grave.

“I don’t know your thoughts; I only know how you feel. You seem worried…”

He was being tender, as if he didn’t want to say something to make me leave. His hand gently rubbed my stomach in a soothing manner. He was trying to calm me. Amazingly it started to work— _damn it_! That was the blood tie. I turned over on my other side to face him. His hand moved along the side of my waist.

“What are your intentions with me after this?” I asked and he arched his eyebrows. He knew I was aware of something.

“I think you need to tell me about your special ability.”

Oh fuck. That said it all. I couldn’t hide it from him, not anymore. He wasn’t guessing, he knew I had one he just didn’t know what it was.

“You have a special gift, not like Sookie, it’s more pronounced, it’s stronger. I can feel it, I can sense it, and I can taste it in your blood.” He waited for a response. I was paralyzed in fear. “Why are you afraid of me?” 

Because I knew he didn’t want to let me go and if he knew the truth he would make damn sure I couldn’t go. Why the hell did I drink his blood? _Crap_ , the best sex in the universe wasn’t worth giving this vamp so much control over me. It felt good enough in the moment but now with the consequences of that exchange staring me right in the face I realized it was a very dumb move on my part.

“I… I…”

I lost the words to say anything else. My mind went blank and I started to tremble. He knew I was scared. His eyes softened and he pulled the sheet over me.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I feel very strongly about you.”

He was serious and I knew he was telling the truth. I could feel it so powerfully. I guess the blood tie worked both ways… well that was interesting development.

“I know.” I blurted without thinking.

Wait! Did I just say that out loud? I couldn’t take it back. His eyes widened. _Crap! Say something quick…_

“I don’t understand how I know but I do. It doesn’t make sense to me. While I know a lot about you, we don’t really know each other at all. How could you feel something so strongly, so quickly? It doesn’t seem like something you usually do.”

“I would say the same about you. I haven’t seen you with anyone. You are not the sort of woman who goes from man to man …” _Great!_ So he was more observant than I realized. “I know you feel the same as I do, I can feel it.”

Oh bloody hell. Something just occurred to me. How the heck did he know I wasn’t with anyone and I didn’t go from man to man? Sookie wouldn’t just give him that kind of information and other than my rebuttal to his advances several months earlier… my social life wasn’t something that was apparent to everyone.

“Wait a second; back the train up…how do you know that about me? I know you said you kept tabs on me for my safety but it sounds like you dug a little deeper.”

“I’ve been curious about you ever since your first visit to Fangtasia.”

“You said you asked Bill about my past but you made it sound like my recent past, concerning Gran and Sookie.”

“I had Bill do a full investigation.”

“Excuse me?”

“I wanted to know more about you.”

“Why?”

“To understand your unique personality.” _Bullshit._

As if this justified anything and it would be worse if I told him about my ability because of our blood tie. His answer seemed incomplete to me and I knew there was more to this, I could tell, it felt like he was withholding something from me. I sat up, holding the sheet under my arms. He immediately followed suit, well not exactly, he sat up but his perfect physique was still within view. What the hell? Was I now a vampire sex junkie? I wanted to jump him. He smiled, I didn’t.

“What do you want from me? I’ve never given it up to a guy right away, evidently you know this. What more could you possibly be interested in?” Irritation flooded my voice. “Isn’t that the only thing you were after?” He stopped smiling.

“Maybe initially… but the moment I caught your scent, tasted your blood and had sex with you…”

Well at least he was honest. Ah damn it. He was reliving the moment. Great, again with the scent and the blood. So my blood and sex was like crystal meth to him—that was good to know. Only he wasn’t aware I had elf-fairy blood which explained his infatuation. I abruptly cut him off.

“I don’t want you to have control over me.”

“And I don’t want you to have any influence or control over me but it appears we’re in the same predicament.”

What? So he was tied to me as I was to him, we both had a certain amount of control over each other? _Shit!_

“So you think you can trust me more if you turn me?”

I hit the nail on the head with my annoyance but it was the last thing I should have said since, without realizing it, I told him what my ability was. His expression changed.

“I haven’t said this to you, _out loud_.” He arched his eyebrows. “Tell me about your gift.”

He wasn’t happy but he wasn’t angry. Shit, shit, shit! I had to tell him and I didn’t want to but I didn’t have to tell him that I knew his thoughts, I could just tell him about the gift that some people were already aware of.

“I sometimes get premonitions about things that will affect me.” His eyes were very wide and alert now.

“So you saw my thoughts?” Oh boy, how do I explain that one? I wasn’t going to live long if the vamps knew about that.

“Well... _no_... I saw a picture that you were going to try to turn me. The way my gift works is that if something serious is going to affect _my_ future then I tune into it like a satellite receiver… am I wrong?”

I could feel his uneasiness. He stiffened and I wondered if he would turn me right then because his gaze became intense. He didn’t say anything. I felt his tension like it was my own.

“I don’t want to become your slave. I like being independent and having my own thoughts. I like being free to choose my life. I will not be a prisoner. If you turning me into a vampire means that I’m going submit to your every whim then I’d rather you just kill me right now.”

He wasn’t expecting that response. He flinched at the thought. That was odd even for him, he wasn’t normally so sensitive.

“I don’t want to kill you nor do I want to make you my slave.” His voice was rigid but careful.

“Then maybe you can explain to me why I saw what I did?” I asked impatiently.

“I wasn’t sure what gift you had only that I felt it was very powerful. You are too valuable to lose.” 

I was surprised at his explanation. He was possessive but also protective of me.

“So you want to take ownership of me like I am a piece of property?” It accidentally came out like an accusation.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Of course with you by my side it would be extremely helpful but that’s not why I want you close to me.” 

Wow. He didn’t like having feelings; it was obvious, because he was having trouble expressing them. He had about five seconds to explain before I was going to head back to my own safe apartment…

“Spell it out to me then because I’m having a hard time understanding you. Are you saying what I think you are saying?” 

Was he asking me to be with him? Was he so connected after just a couple of instances of mind-blowing, life-altering sex? I wasn’t sure it would affect him the same way it affected me. He had been around for over a thousand years and I was sure he had hundreds if not thousands of lovers yet how could I have this impact on him? I was afraid to admit it to myself. The truth was I felt exactly the same about him and I didn’t know why. Before meeting him I felt as though I was destined to be alone, not that I was happy about it, but I had reconciled myself to that fact. Then out of nowhere I was being confronted with the possibility that this very important and gorgeous vampire actually wanted me to be a part of his life.

“You are mine…” He stated possessively, claiming ownership of me, and it was so _not_ the right thing to say.

The fury almost made my blood boil. He sensed it and quickly continued.

“Let me rephrase, what I mean is that I want you to be with me so nobody else can have you, so nobody else can bite you…” 

“You already know I don’t go from man to man…”

“I had to make my intentions clear.”

His voice was much gentler and it was a better explanation but it was startling to think about the consequences from other vampires if I didn’t comply with his suggestion. It would be open season on me and I would have a target on my back if everyone knew about my gift.

“Ok first of all what makes you think I would allow anyone else in my bed anyway? Secondly, until tonight the idea of voluntarily allowing a vampire to bite me was extremely repulsive I certainly wouldn’t just let someone else do it on a whim.” He considered that and smiled but his reply was urgent.

“I wasn’t implying that you would volunteer.” _OH_. He meant that someone would just do it whether I consented or not.

“That’s illegal and you know it.” I replied hastily.

I was fully aware that humans were legally protected from the sinister wiles of vampires and I knew the law enforcement would implement that statute. His expression told me something else though and it worried me.

“Just tell me whatever you’re thinking because it’s obvious it’s important.” I added.

“A very powerful vampire with a large entourage wouldn’t be deterred by legalities if it meant he or she could benefit or prosper by your permanent presence.”

I didn’t like where this was leading. It sounded like he was talking about himself. I shivered but not with pleasure. He pulled the sheet over me. I was right about what would happen if my gift became known to the wrong people. Only a small number of people knew about it, Sookie, our cousins, some locals and now Eric—but otherwise I didn’t think anyone who was potentially dangerous to me was aware of it… until I remembered that Jeff found out.

My ex was a piece of work and I couldn’t hide my gift from Jeff when I knew exactly where to find him while he was literally in the middle of screwing one of the chicks in town. Served him right though, it freaked him out and I left his ass. I didn’t bother kicking her ass though, I knew the lame story he fed to her, and she didn’t realize he was still with me. _Jerk off._ I never regretted dumping him. He did and he tried to get me back. He practically stalked me until I moved to an undisclosed location and got a private number. That was over three years ago. Ugh! I had enough with the trip down dysfunctional memory lane. I brought myself back into the moment and looked into Eric’s eyes.

“It sounds like you are talking about yourself.” I was serious.

“Whether you choose to believe this or not, there are other vampires who are older, stronger and more powerful than I am. They wouldn’t be as hesitant to use force or whatever means necessary to have you.” 

I actually trembled in fear. Someone more powerful than Eric, _are you kidding_ _buddy_? Apparently I was naïve when it came to the world of vampires.

“So what are you implying? Your solution to this is…?” _Just come on out and tell me_.

“Stay with me.”

I was expecting more than just three words. Like maybe an elaborate plan which focused on keeping me safe and happy without complicating my life.

“Won’t that kind of interfere with your business? I mean aren’t you like Pam’s _maker_ or something? You have a lot of vampires who work for you right? They might have a problem with this…”

His confession came from out of nowhere. Eric Northman didn’t just invite women to be _with_ him on a more permanent basis. I personally didn’t care about how his employees felt. Although, I liked Pam, her straightforward personality suited me. She didn’t waste time beating around the bush she just cut to the chase, like me but the real point was Eric wasn’t one to settle down, to remain monogamous. That wasn’t his style. It never was and his admission stunned me.

“They follow my commands and they would have no say in this.” There was no indecision in his authoritative tone.

“Do _I_ have a say in this?”

I was very uncertain. I wasn’t about to pack my stuff and move over to vampire land, not after one night.

“You don’t want to be with me?” He was arrogant. Almost as if to say ‘ _try to deny it, try to leave right now’_.

He was right, I wanted him, and actually, I _needed_ him like I was addicted to him or was it just the sex? I didn’t want the internal conflict to make my life more complicated as if I needed any more drama added to my life. I was trying to live in obscurity to prevent anyone from knowing about my premonitions.

“I didn’t say that but I’m not giving up my independence. I’m staying right here, well not right here because I have no clue whose apartment we’re in but I mean in my own apartment, downstairs.”

“It’s mine.” He said plainly.

“What?”

Did I miss something? I think I did because he seemed very comfortable in the bedroom and I didn’t notice it earlier. Then I remembered… he removed clothes from one of the dressers.

“This apartment is mine. I bought it…” He replied simply as though it wasn’t a big deal. Why was I _not_ surprised at this revelation? I was miffed again.

“Tell me it wasn’t to stalk me…” But as soon as I asked him I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

“Yes and no. For the most part it was convenient that you lived in the same building so I could be sure of your safety but the real reason was that we were monitoring some of the humans in the area, other than you of course.” That was cryptic.

“So the reason for the raid in the building tonight was….?” I stated, getting to the crux of the matter.

“We suspect that humans in the area have committed crimes against vampires and have taken some of them hostage.”

Oh boy… this is where my gift would come handy. I could see how convenient my presence was now.

“We were merely doing a routine check in this building but we know we’re close to finding those involved.”

Routine check my ass; they had never done this before. Unlike Sookie I was home most evenings.

“So when was the last _routine_ check?” I asked suspiciously. He could sense I wasn’t buying this.

“I have never been personally involved before but it was suspected that one of the primary targets was visiting a tenant in the building early this evening.” _Thank you, Mr. Honesty_. At least he knew I could tell when he was lying. “But it seems as though he caught wind of our impending arrival and disappeared shortly before we arrived.” 

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. It sounded like a very subtle accusation; the word _impending_ stood out.

“Do you think _I_ had something to do with this?” I asked with a frown.

“I know _now_ that you didn’t. I wasn’t sure earlier.” _Please tell me that he didn’t screw me just to get information from me._

“Earlier?” I asked with an edge to my voice.

“The other tenants were fully dressed and you were in a sheet. It appeared suspicious.”

So he thought I was screwing the guilty party? I didn’t even know who the hell he was talking about.

“I had just got home from work, finished showering, and dried off. I was about to get dressed when two UFC sized vampires banged on the door so loudly that I thought it was going to bust open, then they stomped right into my apartment and refused to let me get dressed.” I replied angrily. “This doesn’t make any sense, you said earlier that you knew I haven’t been with someone and that I didn’t go from man to man and yet you suspected I was screwing a vampire hater?” I was livid.

“Don’t be offended.” _Too late!_ I already was but he continued, ignoring my vicious glare. “We assumed he was with you because you had a previous relationship with him. You aren’t promiscuous, this I know, but you were involved with him for a substantial amount of time and we thought you might have taken up with him again.” 

It just kept getting better and better. He just let out the real reason he was keeping tabs on me aside from supposedly getting to know “more about me”. It was because an ex- boyfriend of mine was committing hate crimes against vampires and happened to know someone else in my building. None of my exes knew where I lived, the last damn boyfriend I had, which was Jeff, was almost 4 years ago and I was sure Eric knew that too. I had only moved to my current building within the last year and I kept to myself. I didn’t mingle with the other tenants and my personal information was kept private including my damn phone number, which was unlisted. I felt like I was going to explode like a volcano, that’s how hot my temper was.

“I can’t even guess who you are referring to. I have no clue but what I realize the real reason you were spying on me. So the sex and the blood exchange were to use me to catch these criminals—well _thanks._ ”

I was done. I was going back to my own place. I got out of the bed right away and picked up the sheet off the floor for the second time. I wrapped it around myself again and left the room. He wasn’t getting me back in that bed, _not_ this time. He followed me and I noticed he had put on a pair of underwear. He instantly appeared in front of me. I was internally chanting to myself: ‘ _don’t look at him; look at the ceiling or around him—not at him’_. I tried to step around him but he blocked my exit. I was fuming.

“Get the hell out of my way…” I stated bitterly.

He put his arms around me and I couldn’t move. I felt the intensity of his emotions again. He didn’t think it was safe to let me go.

“You’re not leaving.” He wasn’t kidding. He was strong and I couldn’t move if I wanted to.

“Excuse me?” I wanted to kick his ass, too bad I couldn’t.

“I’m not going to let you leave.”

“Last time I checked you don’t own me.” I struggled but his grip tightened. “Eric, let me go.”

“No, it’s not safe for you.”

“You can’t just keep me a prisoner.”

“I can’t risk them finding you.”

So that was a _‘yes’_ he was going to keep me prisoner and supposedly for my own good. I was about to shove him when I got a glimpse of something very extreme, a vision. I got a clear picture of Jeff talking to some people but it was dark and I didn’t recognize them. He was telling them about my psychic gift—son of a bitch! 

_“Well if we get a hold of her, she can tell us when they’re coming or better yet where to find them so we can stake them! We’ll have to keep her though and find a place to hold her because she won’t do this willingly.”_

A twisted sick picture entered his mind then and I had to force myself to block it out. The vision ended. I shuddered. Oh hell. He was in some kind of gang with some really sinister characters and they knew who I was. Did he know I was in the building? Fuck! Eric flinched in front of me. He just felt everything I processed.

“What just happened? Did you see something?” He asked anxiously.

I panicked. I began to shake and I couldn’t stop. I could feel everything was about to change. Something was brewing and it was terrible but suddenly it felt like I was falling and everything went black.


	3. Overprotective Measures

When I woke up I had no idea where I was. It was unfamiliar. I was in a very large bed, a king-size bed to be exact, with red satin sheets. I was wearing a long black t-shirt that went to my knees. I didn’t have any underwear on, although that didn’t surprise me, not one bit. I sat up and looked around the room. I had never been there before. The furniture was dark mahogany. There was a big dresser across from the bed with a huge mirror and two nightstands on either side of the bed. There was a black leather loveseat against the wall on the right side toward what I thought was the door out. There was a bathroom to the left of the big dresser—something else caught my eye. I looked up. There were mirrors on the ceiling. I suddenly knew exactly where I was. There was only one person or undead person I could think that would have mirrors on his ceiling… it looked like it would be Eric’s place but I wasn’t sure. I was dizzy and I hadn’t eaten in… wait a minute what time was it? I looked around for a clock, there was one on the smaller dresser to my left and it read: 4:00 pm, soon to be early evening. I didn’t remember when I fainted but I knew that it was probably close to 2 am. I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours. I never had the chance to eat when the apartment was raided. Odd—I wasn’t hungry until now. I got up off the bed and almost fell again. Not good. I put my hand on the nightstand to get my balance. I felt something underneath my hand. It was a note. I warily opened it.

_“It wasn’t safe to leave you at your apartment. Someone will stop in to check on you and make sure you are taken care of. Don’t leave, Eric.”_

Well great, _just great_. I did feel like a prisoner. He was protecting me but now I had to what? Hide out in his house… was I in a house? The blinds on the windows were jet black but since the lamp on the nightstand was on I walked over to look outside but it was sealed to keep it light tight. I found a button on the wall next to the blinds and pressed it for a moment they opened up enough for me to get a small view of the property. Holy crap! There was no other house in sight and there were a bunch of very expensive cars in the driveway. It was like I was in some kind of mansion or something. The property had a high brick wall around it. I started counting the cars… there were six cars. One of which was a Corvette no less. The other cars looked expensive but I couldn’t tell for sure as I was too far away to see the brand names. I think I saw a Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and a BMW, I didn’t know what the other two were. Oh hell. What did it matter? I was stuck in a house by myself in the middle of freaking nowhere with none of my own clothes and I was suddenly hungry. I closed the blinds again and crept out of the room, warily peering down the long corridor. All the blinds were shut. It was light tight to keep the sunlight out but at least the overhead lights were on in the hallway. Where the hell did he sleep during the day? My hunger pangs reminded me it didn’t matter at that moment so I began walking. The winding staircase was at the end and I walked down the stairs. No sign of human or non-human life. Suddenly... I was wrong I sensed a presence immediately and gasped.

“Oh good you’re awake. Master Eric told me to keep watch over you during the day.” _‘Master Eric?_

He wasn’t going to hear that come out of my mouth—like _ever_. She waited for me to respond. She was skinny, tanned and had bleach-blonde hair. She looked vaguely familiar but I wasn’t sure why.

“I’m Ginger.” Oh right, she was the barmaid from Fangtasia who gave me coffee and a pair of John Lennon sunglasses.

“Uh, ok, I’m…” I felt weird and I lost my train of thought.

“You’re Nikki, Sookie’s cousin. He told me to make sure you were ok and to get you something to eat.” 

It was a good thing because my stomach pangs had started to turn into painful cramps.

“Oh great… listen I really should give you a new pair of sunglasses to replace the pair you gave me…”

“Don’t worry about it. Eric was happy that I helped you and he reimbursed me generously with a pair that cost 5 times as much.” That wasn’t much of a shock. “Anyway… I went shopping but I wasn’t sure what you liked so I picked up a bunch of different stuff.”

I followed her to a kitchen that was the size of my entire apartment and watched her open a colossal stainless steel fridge. It was full of food. I mean really... how many humans did they entertain there? There was an entire shelf of blue bottles of what looked like dark red wine but they weren’t labelled. There were, however, a few bottles of synthetic blood. I noticed that immediately. Hmmm, O negative, that was my blood type _and_ Sookie’s. That was interesting.

“What do you feel like?” She asked. I was still mesmerized by the blood. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Oh, sorry, um I don’t know yet…” I looked at the shelves. My eye caught sight of a chicken wrap. I pointed to it and she handed it to me. “Thank you.” She smiled. I sat at one of the stools by the long marble counter in the center of the kitchen.

“You must be parched. Would you like something to drink?”

She was very accommodating but it seemed forced, almost as though she was ordered to be nice and helpful. Eric was more intimidating than I originally thought. If I wasn’t so obstinate I wondered if I should be worried about him.

“Water is fine, thanks.”

She handed me a bottle of Evian. Even the freaking water was expensive. I ate and drank slowly. She left the room advising me that she would be back later on but she had to go to the bar. The bar… oh right Fangtasia, obviously she couldn’t just stay with me all day. Wow, I really was out of it. I thanked her after she politely told me there was a change of clothes and some toiletries in the bathroom of the guest room I was in. That was the guest room? A guest room that had mirrors on the ceilings? What kind of guests did he have? I suddenly realized I didn’t want to know.

I was glad to be alone. I needed some time to process my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if I still wanted to be angry at Eric or not. I couldn’t blame him for keeping tabs on me if he thought I was somehow connected to vampire hate crimes but you would think that since I was Sookie’s cousin—he should have known better than that. Then again, you would also think my cousin Jason would have known better than that too—but did he? Nope. When he first starting dating Amy she was addicted to vampire blood and she talked him into kidnapping a vampire so they could keep him hostage and drink his blood. Thank God he eventually put his foot down and stopped it or he would have ended up a dead man if the vampires found out. But... if Jason would do that… I suppose if Eric didn’t know me at all he might figure I had no standards. Though if he knew I wasn’t having sex with anyone why the hell would he think I would be involved as something as morally bankrupt as hate crimes?? If he did any kind of background check on me he would have realized I didn’t have a problem with vampires. I wasn’t comfortable around them until I met Bill through Sookie and now him but I didn’t have any kind of bigotry for them nor did I hang around anyone who did. The more I thought about it the more it sank in that the blood tie thing was going to come back and kick me in the ass.

Memories started flooding back … I wasn’t sure why but I remembered how much Jeff hated them. We broke up way before the vampires infiltrated society and before they had a synthetic blood replacement. I didn’t tolerate his attitude about them and I told him as much. I took it personally when people hated anyone else because of their differences. In fact it made me angry. Jeff didn’t appreciate my reaction one bit and he accused me of having a sordid affair with one. I was disgusted at the thought and slapped him in the face as hard as I could. He changed his tune but it did turn out he was the hypocrite and was having the affair maybe not with a vampire but he was cheating on me, nonetheless. What a jackass. And now he was fixing to get me into more trouble by volunteering me like a damn movie rental to some local thugs? I was in trouble with a capital ‘T’.

That’s when it hit me that it was Saturday and I didn’t have to work until Tuesday. What was going to happen between now and then??? I was beginning to wonder if I was going to live until Tuesday. Eric wasn’t around so I couldn’t pick up his feelings or thoughts but the last time I saw him he was still intent on turning me into a vampire. I never really settled that with him. He wasn’t used to being told _no_. He was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it and I just wasn’t like that at all but he would have to get used to it. What did he expect me to do? Stay here and wait for him to get back like I was some 1950’s housewife that kept the house, the kids and waited at home for her hubby? I kept forgetting how old he was. He had over a thousand years under his belt so back in his day women stayed at home, had about 20 kids and never left the property. Like hell I was going to do that. I didn’t think that is what Eric expected but he was certainly possessive over me and I only spent 1 night with him. It wasn’t exactly reassuring. How could I get out of this mess? I had to talk to Sookie but what would I say? I didn’t even know where I was or who was coming back to get me or if I would be allowed to leave. _Screw it_ —I decided to call her. There was a phone in the kitchen, strange enough, so I dialled her cell number and got her voicemail. _Crap_ —I remembered she was at work. I decided to leave a message.

_“Sookie, it’s me, listen something happened at my apartment last night and Eric brought me here to hide me. I’m stuck in some house in the middle of nowhere and I don’t even know what the phone number is. Please talk to Bill find out where I am and come and get me. I’m kind of freaking out right now. I saw something I need to talk to you about---oh and if anyone tries to find out where I am don’t give them any info, I’m serious...”_ Click.

I didn’t want her to worry but at least she would find out where I was and that wasn’t in any danger—I think. I abruptly became exhausted all over again. All the stress was getting to me. I tidied up my mess and went back upstairs. I had a shower and cleaned up. I put the black t-shirt back on, crawled back into that nice cozy bed and I was out within 60 seconds.

I wasn’t sure how long I was out but the touch of a cool hand against my waist woke me up and I was startled. I gasped and sat up quickly.

“It’s just me…”

Eric acted as if it was normal for him to be there and for me to be in bed with him. I felt a calm come over me. That wasn’t normal and neither was me being naked. Was I not allowed to be dressed when I was with him? I pulled the sheet around me at once. I was getting aroused again… _when the hell will that stop happening_?

“What the…” I started to say. He grinned. Did he have to look that good all the time? Ugh!

“You are safe here—don’t worry.” He was trying to calm me down.

“Where the hell am I? Whose house am I in—and whose bedroom is this?” 

I noticed I wasn’t in the same bedroom as before. Why had I been moved was beyond me but I was in a bedroom twice the size of the previous one. _Great_ —was this his room? The bed was the same size though, _figures_. I looked up and sure enough there were mirrors on the ceiling. I felt like I was at the Playboy Mansion, I expected half-naked women to walk in at any time and jump into bed with us.

“We are at my house and this is my room.” He replied casually. Ugh. I hated being right sometimes.

“Why didn’t I just stay in the guest room? Or wherever I was before?” His smile turned to a straight line. He was puzzled.

“That wouldn’t make much sense if you are with me. I only put you in there temporarily in case one of my employees had to check on you. I don’t allow them into my private rooms.” Okay... I suppose that explained it all— _not_.

He slid an arm under the sheet around my waist to bring me close to him. This was getting weird. Yesterday I was single, my life was boring but uncomplicated, I was not ecstatic with my life but I was somewhat content. Now I was in a heap of trouble, apparently attached to the hip of a gorgeous vampire with whom I now had a blood tie and my ex was hell bent on seeking me for his selfish dark purposes. I was sitting naked next to the only guy—err vampire whose very touch instantly set my loins on fire. That was _so_ not fair. I tried to slide away from him but he brought me closer. _Not again_ … seriously? I felt like a vampire sex junkie. If my blood and scent were like crystal meth to him well his touch was the same to me and I was _so_ addicted. I struggled not to feel aroused but all I wanted was to pull his body to mine….NO! I couldn’t let this get out of hand. I looked up and saw that sly smile again.

“Listen Eric, I’m kind of freaking out here. What is going on? I blacked out last night and the next thing I know I’m in an unknown house, in an unfamiliar bed in the middle of nowhere with a terrified skinny blonde chick who was acting like my servant. What’s the deal?”

“Ginger.”

“Right… _Ginger_ … whatever… what’s going on?”

“When you collapsed I immediately brought you here where it would be safe. I had to give you some of my blood because I wanted to make sure you would be ok.”

_What_? He gave me _more_ of his blood. The bond was even stronger now. He wasn’t going to let me go. A variety of emotions coursed through me: worry, anger, interest and arousal—all at once. Damn it.

“You don’t plan on letting me leave do you?” I frowned. He smiled deviously.

“Why would you want to? I know that you want to be with me.”

He put a hand on my thigh. Was there a way to kick your own ass? This bond we had was even stronger and every moment I spent with him made it harder to leave or even be away from him. I was like a junkie. Sex with him was instantly addictive and almost impossible to stop. That was his plan, to get me so attached to him that I wouldn’t even try to leave. With as much strength as I could muster, I carefully removed his hand from my thigh. He frowned.

“Listen. I’m not some pet that you can keep locked up to be brought out for your own convenience. I have a job, I have an apartment, and I have family or what’s left of it--” He cut me off with a kiss and I lost my train of thought.

What was I saying? He pulled me onto his waist not breaking the kiss. He wasn’t dressed either and he was very ready. His hands moved up my waist to my breasts massaging gingerly. Omigod! I was done for. He sat up then and maneuvered my legs around his waist and glided right into me. I practically growled. A hoarse moan escaped my lips and he moved with amazing precision. He held me against him as he caressed my lips, neck, and every part of my upper body. Then he moved quicker than I could blink and I was on my back again. I could barely breathe it felt so good. The minute he pierced my neck again I felt an internal explosion that would have decimated a building. How was _that_ possible? How could someone have what felt like 10 orgasms rolled into one? It had to be a vampire thing and the blood bond intensified it. We didn’t move for what seemed like an eternity. He just laid there on top of me as if to prove that I wasn’t going anywhere nor did I even want to. I didn’t want to. _Nikki the vampire sex junkie_ —good title for a book or a show? Jerry Springer would be calling soon. He looked into my eyes with a great big smile.

“You were saying…?” _Mr. Know It All_.

It seemed that my defiance excited him. Then I saw it… the minute I stood my ground about something it acted as an aphrodisiac to him. He liked to be challenged. I wasn’t dull or boring to him like other humans because he couldn’t really control me like he did them. This enthralled him. I wasn’t intimidated by him and that intrigued him. I wasn’t impressed by his authority, his prominence or his wealth like most humans which is why he had so little regard for them, but I was different and always surprised him. He finally got off of me and lied beside me. He propped himself on a pillow and looked at me.

“You know; it really bugs me when you distract me like that.” I stated quietly.

“It didn’t look or feel like it bugged you…” He smirked.

He smiled like Garfield after he ate a huge pan of lasagna. If I wasn’t so aroused I would have hit him. His hand was travelling downward and his fingers were on an expedition. I wanted to the knock the smile right off his beautiful face but my temperature just went up about 20 degrees. I was beginning to have strong feelings for him and he knew it but I didn’t like it. I didn’t like being at the mercy of a thousand-year-old vampire who knew how to play me like a guitar. That much vulnerability could prove to be disastrous in the long run.

“Would you like me to distract you again? It seems to unlock something within you…”

Is that all he did? Have sex all freaking night? Didn’t he have a bar to manage? I was trying to ignore the flames that were exuding from my groin… he couldn’t possibly want me again? Could he? I felt like we were filming reality-TV porn.

“Do you really want me to be some robotic, ordinary, boring bed servant? Who just plays house all day and screws you all night?” He liked that mental picture. Shit. Wrong choice of words.

“You are far from ordinary or boring—in any capacity.” He replied. “But I do like the idea of us fucking all night, every night.” Just great.

Too late... my opportunity to stop his wandering hands was gone and they found their target. After a few minutes of exploratory foreplay, he positioned himself there. His face was at my thigh while his fingers were carefully probing the entire area. It should have been against the law to be able to have non-stop amazing sex. His mouth replaced his fingers and I was just about to lose my mind when he quickly moved his face to my inner thigh and bit. I couldn’t help the scream that escaped my lips that time. Just when I thought it couldn’t get better he took it to the next level. I felt like I left my body for a second and I couldn’t stop shaking. He slid back into me at that moment and the pleasure continued until he was finished. I was panting like a damn dog. I felt like I had just run a marathon and I was out of breath. I shut my eyes only for a brief moment. He was back down beside me and put a hand on my stomach. When my breath finally returned I had to get back to my original point and this time _not_ let him distract me.

“Um… not to sound rude but… well… I can’t just have sex with you all night and forget about everything else. I still have a life that I need to attend to outside of here. During the daytime—wherever you were sleeping today—I left a message for Sookie to get Bill and find me.”

“I know. He called me. I told him to stay where he was and to let Sookie know you are being cared for and protected.” 

“Excuse me?” I frowned.

_What the fuck?_ He made a decision for me like I was a child and without consulting me. That’s it, I wasn’t staying there. I saw RED and he felt it. He tried to put his arm around me but I shoved it away and got off the bed. Where the hell were my clothes? I went into the bathroom, oh great... the bathroom with a Jacuzzi the size of a Buick. Ugh! I had to get out of there! I wanted some normalcy again. I grabbed the large robe hanging from a hook by the massive shower stall and put it on. Of course it was his and it dragged on the floor. I looked like a doll wearing an adult’s clothes, it looked ridiculous but it was the only option I had. He was at the doorway in silk boxers. _Damn it_ —I had to move my eyes to his face so I didn’t look at his body. He blocked my path again. That was not fair.

“You can’t just keep me a prisoner here no matter what kind of bond we have. I refuse to feel like a caged animal. I need to talk to Sookie, it’s important. I have to warn her…” I stopped.

“I can’t risk you getting hurt. You are too valuable. Something is brewing with the humans in your district. I need to know you are safe and you won’t be if your ex is prowling around trying to find you.” How the hell did he know that?

“He doesn’t know I live there. I haven’t seen him in almost 4 years. I have an unlisted number and my tenant information isn’t displayed publicly. Besides how would you know what his intentions are?” I was confused.

“When you fainted I could hear the other humans in the building. They were talking amongst themselves about him. He was trying to find you earlier but none of them really knew who you were until last night. He gave them your picture but then he heard we were coming and left immediately. An informant we had in the area advised me later that he had been tracking you for quite some time.”

“Well that’s just fucking great! Up until last night my life was normal and uncomplicated, now I’m being held prisoner as some sort of blood-bonded sex slave while Jeff has some twisted plot to kidnap me and use my gift for his sick purpose, I don’t have a home anymore since I’m not allowed to go back to my apartment and I’m willing to bet you won’t let me go back to work either??”

He froze. I never told him what I saw last night.

“What did you see last night? You were consumed with anxiety and fear just before you passed out.”

“You didn’t answer the question about my job.”

“I apologize but it’s much too precarious for you to return to your employment.”

“I don’t think _you_ have the authority to make that decision for me.” _Pompous ass_.

“Actually I do and your employer has been informed of your resignation.” That pissed me off.

“Are you fucking crazy? You don’t own me and now you’re telling me I don’t have a job to go back to? What am I supposed to do now? How the hell am I supposed to earn money if you won’t let me leave here? Ugh!”

“I can make sure you are provided for.”

“Excuse me but I’m not a prostitute or anything.” He frowned, that actually angered him.

“Why are you being so obtuse?”

I slapped him across the face and he took my wrists in his hands. Ouch... that actually hurt a little bit. He loosened his grip but didn’t let me go.

“Jackass! Let me go.”

“No.” He was firm. “Tell me what you saw.”

I guess the lesser of two evils was telling him if he was hell bent on trying to protect me.

“Apparently he’s a part of some kind of gang. The picture I saw was dark and I didn’t see the other faces. I only heard the voices. They want to kidnap me and use my gift against vampires. Although Jeff has a sick little plot of his own…”

He released my hands. Right then my stomach went into knots and I had to put my hand on it as I remembered the sick picture he imagined. Eric’s arms were around me suddenly.

“Listen to me; I don’t consider you to be my slave or servant. I don’t enjoy that you are feeling like this but we have to keep you safe. Whether you choose to believe it or not that’s up to you. Initially you were a means to an end. I don’t allow myself get attached to humans; however, that has changed, because of you. I don’t understand why I have such a strong bond to you. I have never cared for humans like this but you are no ordinary human.” 

Well that was kind of sweet even if he did sound uneasy saying it. I considered telling him about my other revelation? Should I reveal to him that the only reason he was so infatuated was due to the elf-fairy blood? Maybe that would solve the problem and he would leave me alone. I wasn’t sure I wanted that though. His arms around me felt nice and I was tired of being alone but I didn’t want to be trapped either. It was just too much in 24 hrs. My emotions were all over the place. I needed to somehow break free and get some time to myself. Like detox—vampire sex detox. Then I would be able to think objectively without my libido taking over every time he touched me. That settled it. I decided to tell him about the elf-fairy blood.

“You have no idea just how right you are about me being no ordinary human.” I replied and he raised an eyebrow.

“Enlighten me.” He asked curiously.

He took my hand and led me back to the bed. Not the bed! Fine I’ll sit on the damn bed at least I was cloaked in an oversized bath robe although he was still in the boxers. I shook my head trying to convince myself not to look at the boxers. A sex addict in less than 24 hrs—that’s the payback I get for being celibate for almost 4 years. I closed my eyes, there that’s much better. He didn’t like that.

“Look at me.” I sighed and looked up at his piercing gaze intentionally ignoring his anatomy.

“I got another glimpse of something last night, which might explain your infatuation with me.” He was intrigued.

“Go ahead.” He motioned for me to continue.

“Apparently I have an elf-fairy great-great grandfather.” 

“Well that answers a lot of questions about your scent and the taste of your blood. It doesn’t change how I feel and it doesn’t change the fact that you need to stay here.” 

Well shit. I was so conflicted. He got the absolution he needed but it didn’t make any difference to him. He was still bonded to me and he wasn’t going to let me go or let anyone else have me. I felt like a dog, or a cat. Worse than that, at least they could walk around and go outside. I was a damn hamster. Screw that! I was nobody’s pet.

“Listen, I appreciate your protection and concern but you don’t have to inconvenience yourself by letting me stay here. You have a bar to manage and employees to tend to. I promise to help you with my gift when you need the help if I can. I won’t betray you. I would never work for anyone who committed the heinous acts these people are capable of. Hell I’ll even move to another place, although if you won’t let me go back to my job or apartment then I’ll need some furnishings and clothes.”

“I’ll take it under advisement but the real issue is that you belong to me and nobody else. I can’t have you wondering around unprotected.” _Whoa, back the train up buddy! I’m not your property!_ I wasn’t 5 years old.

I got off the bed and moved as far away from him as I could which was very hard because I could feel myself being drawn to him like flies go to …

“Ok that’s it!” I raised my voice as he stood up and was about to approach me again I put my hand up to stop him. “You are NOT my boss, or master or lord. I am my own person. I am not a little kid and I made it along just fine before you showed up at my apartment to complicate things. I’m not some damsel in distress. Furthermore, I never once said that I was going to go off with someone else.” His eyes narrowed and I felt his anger. I tried to run from the room but he blocked the door. “Get out of my way—damn it!”

“No!” He wouldn’t budge. I tried to move him but that was impossible.

“Eric, the more you act like a tyrant the more I dislike you.”

The truth was I wanted to dislike him but he was a part of me however that little fact didn’t diffuse my anger.

“We both know you don’t dislike me and it’s too late… I already have you. I’m a part of you and you are a part of me. We have a blood tie now. You can’t leave.” Son of a bitch! What an arrogant ass. Please tell me the tie could be broken.

“ _Excuse me?_ We are NOT married. I can leave any damn time I want. I’m NOT your property. You don’t own me. I was wondering when I was going to see the _real_ ‘Eric’. Thank you for finally showing your true colours. I’m no vampire groupie and if you think I’ll just hang around here while you collect an assortment of damn fangbangers you are wrong!” 

He growled at me and his fangs were out. Damn, I couldn’t tell if he was angry or horny. He put his big hands on my shoulders and pushed me against a wall. Ouch, that actually hurt, again. First my wrists, then my shoulders. I was going to have bruises. He didn’t realize how strong he was or he didn’t realize that he had to be more careful with humans—either way, I was going to have visible signs of his strength. He immediately loosened his grip when I winced in pain. A voice called him from outside the bedroom door.

“Eric.” That sounded like Bill. Oh thank God.

“I’m busy…” He replied sternly as if to say _leave me alone and go away_. Eric wasn’t going to open the door.

“Sookie is here and she wants to see Nikki…” Bill whispered quietly. _Yes, yes, yes_. I needed to see my cousin.

“Not right now, we’re busy…” There was an authority in Eric’s voice that Bill couldn’t ignore.

“I want to see my cousin right now!” I practically screamed at him.

He put a hand over my mouth and I bit him so hard that I drew blood. Ah crap and now it was in my mouth… he smiled as if he enjoyed that. It made me angrier and I shoved against him. He glared at me… uh-oh I felt the anger rolling off of him in waves. He wasn’t used to someone being insolent and he looked at me as though I had all but spat in his face. I wondered if I was going to live through the night. Tears started streaming down my face, slowly but steadily. He flinched as he felt my anguish. He looked at the floor. 

“Eric please let me see Nikki; I need to see that she’s ok.” Sookie asked politely.

She was being nice to him and it was for my benefit because she usually wasn’t. She must have heard my thoughts. He looked at the door and then back at me. The tears kept falling and that made him very uncomfortable. In a blink he put on a pair of black pants and opened the door. I couldn’t move. I was still against the wall, frozen. I was angry, frightened and disturbingly aroused. Sookie ran over to me while Eric leaned against his dresser staring at me intently as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, stubbornly. Bill walked over to me after glaring at Eric. Sookie’s eyes narrowed. She just heard every thought in my head. She glared at Eric then turned to me.

“Honey, are you ok?” She put her hands on my shoulder, I cringed and she lost it. She yelled at Eric. “What the hell have you done to my cousin?” I was still unable to say anything else and I continued to cry quietly.

“Sookie…” Bill said quietly.

“No Bill, I don’t give a damn. Nikki is afraid, she feels trapped. He won’t let her leave oh and great _he_ has a blood tie to her now.” Bill’s expression was one of disbelief.

“Eric?” He looked up at Eric with questioning eyes.

“We need her. She’s valuable.” He shrugged as if to say to Bill _‘I don’t have to explain my actions to you.’_

This was just too much… I began to feel dizzy. I closed my eyes and just before I hit the floor I saw Eric move toward me but it was Bill who caught me. I was exhausted again. I was back on the bed. I could feel myself going in and out of consciousness. What was happening to me? I thought vampire blood made you stronger? But wait, he had taken blood from me 3 times in 24 hours and that must have been why I felt so weak. I could feel Eric approach me, I sensed he felt guilty for overreacting and he didn’t like feeling guilty. He didn’t like feeling anything. He was so used to being detached that the resurgence of his emotions was disturbing him.

“Stay away from her, you’ve done enough.” Sookie snapped.

Bill tried to calm her down but he knew better. There was a pained expression on Eric’s face.

“I was trying to protect her…” Eric was defending his actions? That was new.

All at once I saw Sookie’s surprised expression, Bill’s bewilderment and Eric’s remorse. He really felt bad and I knew it. At that moment Sookie looked right at me, she just heard that thought. I nodded to her. I wasn’t angry at him anymore. I was just as confused as he was. I didn’t understand my attachment to him any more than he understood his to me. He was new at this which is odd for someone who was over a thousand years old and I was so out of the loop having been single for so long I had no idea what a normal relationship was supposed to be like.

“He’s arrogant as hell but in his own distorted way he’s doing what he thinks is right.” I commented quietly. Eric leaned toward me and Sookie was going to let him go closer but I wasn’t ready yet. “Eric I think you need to leave me alone for a little while… I need to speak to Sookie privately…”

My voice was just above a whisper and I could barely get it out. He wasn’t sure if he should leave because he could feel that I was extremely weak.

“You are weak. I think you need some--” I knew where he was going with that and I panicked.

“NO!” I mustered enough strength to raise my voice. “I don’t want any more of your blood! I’m not going to be your damn slave!” Sookie glared at him again and Bill was disgusted with Eric.

Eric didn’t say anything… he motioned for Bill to leave. Bill walked out first; Eric gave me a quick glance before he shut the door behind him. He was uneasy. When he closed the door behind him Sookie put a hand on my face and gently smiled.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I mean…” I knew what she was asking.

“No he didn’t really hurt me… well not on purpose anyway…” She gave me _that_ look which meant she wanted more details. “Ok, I’ll tell you everything. You got some of it from my thoughts already but you need to know it all.”

I proceeded to tell her about everything from the time the vampires raided the building to the fight Eric and I had before they came to the bedroom door. I didn’t leave anything out, except the elf-fairy great-great grandfather but I quickly blocked that out, I didn’t have time to ask her about that yet. I tried to speak as quietly as possible but I knew they would hear it anyway; I just didn’t care. She had to know.

“What’s the deal with you and Eric?” She was very worried and she didn’t trust him.

“I have no idea. He’s obsessed with me. Be thankful he got over his infatuation with you because this doesn’t feel like it’s going to be an easy road. He doesn’t like feeling attached to a human, it makes him feel vulnerable and he likes to be in control, obviously you know this already.” 

At that moment I felt pain at the thought of leaving him. As much as I wanted my independence, I somehow needed him and not just because of the sex. It was more than that—hell maybe it was the blood tie. Regardless, I still needed to be by myself for a while to process everything that happened. He wasn’t going to like it but neither did I. Her facial expression acknowledged she just heard every single thought.

“Are you in love with him or something?”

“I don’t know what I’m feeling about him to be honest. It’s only been like 24 hours and I don’t know why I have all these feelings floating around in me. Part of me thinks it’s the blood tie but then again I’ve never felt this way before and none of it makes sense. You and I both know that we can’t have normal relationships with other human men. We’re ruined for them because we’re more than human with our abilities. We don’t fit in with other humans and despite the fact that we can work together with them we’re not really like them.” She frowned, she didn’t trust Eric and she was worried he was going to hurt me. “Don’t worry; I’m not moving into vampire land or anything. I have no intention of becoming someone’s puppet. I still need some time to think about everything and he’s just going to have to understand that.” She gave me a troubled look

“I don’t like this Nik, I don’t trust him.” I knew she didn’t but surprisingly I really felt like I could trust him.

“Well he’s confused right now. We both know he’s used to having control over everybody and he can’t control us. He’s fascinated by our abilities but for some reason I guess I intrigue him. Maybe it’s because I’m not some stupid fangbanger. Sookie it’s ok. At least you don’t have to worry about him trying to control you or Bill anymore.” At least I didn’t think so…

“Well it’s you I’m worried about.”

“Listen, has Jeff tried to contact you?” I had to change the subject. I didn’t want to talk about Eric anymore. I was already confused enough.

“No but I’ll hear everything if he does. He still doesn’t know about my ability right?”

“I never told him about your ability but he certainly knows about mine and the jackass is fixing to get me and keep me hostage. I’d rather be with Eric than with him, trust me. At least the sex is better!” Sookie laughed, she understood exactly what I meant and she couldn’t help herself. “Listen, Sook…you should be careful. I don’t trust Jeff. If they know about me they might try to get you to find me. You need to tell Bill so he can protect you and make sure Jason keeps an eye on you during the day, if he isn’t busy screwing everyone in town that is….” She laughed at my comment.

“Don’t you go worrying about me, I’ll be fine.” She replied but I was tired, I shut my eyes briefly. I wish I had some clothes. “Honey you need to keep up your strength and replenish…” I cut her off.

“I don’t want any more of his blood…”

“That’s not what I meant but maybe some synthetic blood would help.” I opened my eyes again.

“That’s a good idea. He’s got some O negative in the fridge. Could you please get me some oh and some clothes would be nice.” 

“Sure sweetie.” She kissed me on the forehead and just as she walked to the door I was out again.

I wasn’t out for long though. I could feel _his_ presence in the room but he wasn’t beside me. I opened my eyes slowly. He was standing at the foot of the bed staring at me with Bill beside him. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. Well great, _he_ was allowed to get dressed. I felt pressure on my hand. Sookie was beside me holding my hand.

“I’ve got some O negative here for you, some clothes and a bag of toiletries.”

“Am I allowed to bathe and get dressed by myself?”

The tone in my voice indicated that I was still annoyed with Eric. I looked right at him when I said this. He had to keep himself from smiling but he nodded then he and Bill both left the room. Sookie helped me get up and keep my balance.

“Bill and I have to head back into town. I have to work a day shift tomorrow but I can come back tomorrow night with more of your clothes. Did you want me to stop by your apartment?”

I wondered if that would be safe for her but I figured that she would hear anything before she got in there anyway.

“Only if you think it’s safe to go in. I’d wait for someone to go with you. Take Bill with you or Sam maybe. Someone that you trust—that you know won’t betray that trust.”

I wasn’t sure why but somehow I didn’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling about Arlene. Bad vibes were hitting me when I thought of her. That wasn’t good. Sookie would’ve noticed it for sure but never said anything.

“Ok. I’ll be careful; I still have your spare key.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and then lowered her voice. “For what it’s worth—I think that Eric does care about you. I may not really like him or trust him but I’ve seen a change in him when he’s around you. He’s never acted like that before—even Bill was surprised at his behaviour.”

“I have no idea why he feels this way but I’m glad you told me.” I whispered.

“You are too hard on yourself.” She scolded me. I smiled up at her.

“Yeah well that runs in the family I guess.” She smiled. “I have to ask you something else. Eric doesn’t want me to leave at all for whatever reason but you and I both know that I can’t stay here feeling like I’m trapped. I need to be able to have some time by myself to think about all that’s happened in the last 24 hours. I don’t want to leave but I have to in order to decide what is right. I can’t make a proper decision around him because every time he’s near me I feel like I’m melting like butter on a hot day. Could you please tell Bill this so that somehow he can try to help Eric understand? I’m going to talk to him about it myself but if he continues acting like I’m in a maximum security prison I’m going to lose my mind and do something really stupid.”

“I’ll talk to Bill but you know Eric I don’t know if Bill talking to him will make any kind of a difference.”

“Yeah I know it’s a long shot—but maybe hearing this from someone else who isn’t involved will help him to see.”

“Maybe.” She wasn’t sure but she was going to do her best.

She helped me walk to the bathroom afraid that I would fall over if she wasn’t with me. She would have helped me in the shower but I convinced her to let me bathe by myself. She gently hugged me and told me I would see her the next night. Before she left I asked if she could return the movie I rented since I was never going to get a chance to watch it. She smiled and nodded once before she left. I grabbed the bag of toiletries went into the bathroom and the very first thing I did was brush my teeth. Then I disrobed and got into what felt like the best shower of my life. The water felt great against my skin and I just wanted to stay in there forever. I’m pretty sure I was in there for like 30 minutes. I felt every muscle relax. I took my time washing my hair and cleaning myself. When I finally got out I was very refreshed but I wasn’t alone. He was there and I gasped. I couldn’t grab the towel quick enough because he appeared right in front of me and I was dripping wet. Crap. His fangs were out and in a flash his clothes were off. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him—not this time. I was on fire, again.

“Haven’t you had enough yet? I’m not a machine you know and you might break me if you’re not careful.” 

“I can’t get enough of you but I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He replied with a sultry expression.

My breathing accelerated. He heard that and he suddenly moved me against the wall. Loins on fire, it should have been the lyrics for my theme song. His mouth was on mine before I could catch my breath. His hands ran over my wet body hungrily. I felt like I was going to combust; I had to have him inside me. Just at that moment he raised my legs and he entered me quickly. I never thought sex against a wall could be so amazing but he certainly made it that way. I couldn’t get enough of him either. I clawed at his back and he kept thrusting. His mouth latched onto my breasts and I could swear that my moans were heard throughout the entire house. I bit his neck gently and he let out a loud moan and again yelled in another language, then as quickly as it began it was over. We just kind of stood there breathing deeply. His mouth rested against my neck as he inhaled deeply. He didn’t bite me this time though, which was good. Obviously he knew he had taken too much blood from me. I could barely stand after this escapade but he kept his promise he certainly didn’t hurt me. I was just exhausted. He put me down and I staggered. He put an arm around my waist and grabbed two towels. He wrapped one around me and when I had my balance he released me and wrapped one around his waist. I was speechless. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him while resting my head against his hard chest. He was surprised by that but he gently put an arm across my back. He liked that response from me, much to his own surprise.

“I do not have a collection of vampire groupies, nor do I want one.” He said sincerely. “Except for Ginger and Sookie—you are the only human I’ve allowed into my house and most certainly the only human in my bed.”

I guess that settled everything. He gently picked me up and carried me over to the bed and sat me down. I looked up at him and then pointed toward the ceiling.

“So the mirrors on the ceiling...?” I was smiling. He kissed my forehead and whispered,

“Were for effect but they were convenient tonight.” He traced his finger down the side of my arm and his gaze lingered on my shoulders, “You should get dressed before I decide to have you again.” That was a shock.

“Seriously? Again? Aren’t you bored yet?”

He seemed to be just as addicted to me as I was to him which was odd considering his extensive experience.

“Hardly…. you are the opposite of boring. If I didn’t have to run off to Fangtasia for a little while I would keep you in bed the rest of the night.” I didn’t mind that idea but I was exhausted and needed a break.

“You’re going to leave me here alone?” I was suddenly very uneasy.

“Pam is downstairs and she will make sure you are safe until I return. Then we can continue where we just left off…”

He was serious. The reality-TV porn show scenario popped into my head again. He was insatiable but I smiled. If he didn’t give me the best sex of my life I wouldn’t even considered the idea to be appealing but it was. _Focus_ … I needed to prepare him that we had to have a serious talk later.

“Ok but listen we do have some serious things to discuss _before_ we have sex again and I mean it.” 

He didn’t want to agree with me. I felt his hesitation. I gave him a stern look, and then he relented.

“We will talk before we have sex but I’m quite sure you’ll forget the entire discussion when I start kissing every inch of your body.”

That just wasn’t fair. His comment was enough to make me want to shove him flat on his back and jump on board. He had a very smug look on his face. I just shook my head laughing but then I pictured what he said. Just the thought gave me an erotic shiver. He smiled, kissed my cheek and left the room in a flash. He sure knew how to leave a lasting impression and have the last word.

I noticed there was a light blue t-shirt and a pair of black shorts on the bed. Thank God for Sookie; there was a brand new white bra in my exact size with matching underwear. After I put on deodorant I quickly put on the clothes. I looked in the mirror. I sighed. It didn’t matter what I wore my chest always stood out. She and I were blessed with a pretty bountiful bust size. Every shirt we wore accentuated it. No one ever complained about it except us. Eric certainly didn’t mind—that was for damn sure. I smiled at the thought of that. I saw the bottled blood on one of the end tables. I grabbed one of them wrinkled my nose and opened it up. I decided to chug it down as quickly as possible because I needed my strength back plus I didn’t want to think about what I was doing. I immediately felt the difference. It wasn’t as good as Eric’s but it was the closest thing to my own blood and I felt stronger. I never thought I would see the day when I would enjoy drinking blood, especially vampire blood. Maybe becoming a vampire wasn’t too far fetched after all. I wondered about that for a moment then I looked around for the time. The clock on the dresser read 10:30 pm. I quietly walked downstairs not knowing what to expect from Pam.

She was in the massive living room watching Blade Trinity, of all things, on what could only be the biggest TV screen I had ever seen in my life. My guess was maybe 65” or more. I sighed. She smiled but didn’t bother to look at me.

“Well you and Sookie certainly have an effect on vampires don’t you?” She stated sarcastically.

“I guess so but it is involuntary.” I smiled and she laughed.

“I know. Eric hasn’t been himself since he met either one of you Stackhouse girls.”

“Well he certainly isn’t devoid of charm is he?” I replied and she raised her eyebrows and laughed again.

“No he isn’t.” 

She looked at the screen again. Seeing as though I actually liked the movie I sat down beside her to watch it. I wanted to ask her some questions to see exactly what she knew about the situation.

“So what has Eric told you?” I figured that if he was her maker and his second in command she would have to know about everything.

“Not to let you out of my sight and not to admit any guests without his approval.”

Okey dokey, then no midnight jogs for me.

“So I’m not allowed out of the house at all? Even for some fresh air or a walk?”

“Orders are orders—I won’t disobey him. Besides if you need some fresh air there is a very large patio just outside of his bedroom.” She wasn’t going to budge on that.

“Well I guess my attention was diverted so I missed that.” She smiled but said nothing. “Do you actually like this movie? Doesn’t it seem strange for you to be watching a vampire movie.”

“I find it entertaining how Hollywood portrays vampires although I like this character oh and _her_.” She had just pointed Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel. Well hell—even I found them yummy.

“I don’t disagree with you there.”

“So, Eric tells me that you are his.”

Great, of course he would tell her this because then she would keep tabs on me to make sure that I stayed in line.

“Okay...” Clearly I didn’t have any kind of witty response.

“Why are you so averse to being his?” Well… that was direct but then that’s the Pam was.

“I don’t really know him. This only just happened in the last 24 hours. I’m a bit overwhelmed right now. I went from being single for a _very_ long time to suddenly being told I _belong_ to him. That’s a bit hard to process.”

“He offers you a great honour.” She wasn’t one to hold anything back.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I replied, a bit annoyed.

“I have been with Eric for centuries and I have never, ever, heard of him extending an invitation to a human woman to his house let alone his own personal chamber. You are acting very obtuse with his generosity.” 

Well that was blunt. I wanted to be pissed with her but you just had to appreciate her honesty.

“Pam, not to be rude but it seems that it’s been way too long since you were a human woman. You obviously don’t understand the emotional turmoil I’ve been through in the last 24 hours. Whatever you vampires do in your own spare time with humans is none of my business and I’m not one to judge but for me... I don’t just go off and screw random men, let alone a big, blonde, Viking vampire. This isn’t the 1920’s and I’m not the sort of woman to allow a man to have control over me just because he says so. Most of the men in my life have been complete assholes so forgive me if I seem a bit hesitant when it comes to a new relationship development. I’m my own person, I don’t need a man to be happy nor do I need a man to support me.” She frowned and I continued. “I can promise you this one thing: I would never betray Eric whether we are partners or not. I am extremely loyal to my friends, family and the people I care about. I may not understand everything I feel right now but I am loyal to the core.” She smiled slightly while absorbing everything I said.

“I can see why he’s smitten with you.” She smiled and then I heard something buzz. 

She removed a cell phone from her purse. She answered and immediately began speaking in another language, I knew it was him. It made me calm down immediately. She listened intently for what seemed like a couple of minutes without saying a word. Then finally she spoke.

“I understand, here she is.” She handed me the phone.

“Eric?”

“I just told Pam to shut up and not harass you.” He replied, annoyed. It seemed like he said more than that.

“Well it’s no big deal, really….”

Wow, he knew I was upset and he wasn’t even around. I forgot all about that special effect of the blood tie.

“I won’t tolerate my staff disrespecting you.”

“That’s not really what was happening and it is ok for someone to have an opinion you know.”

“I could tell you were upset and even angry.”

“Yeah like that’s a shocker coming from me.” I joked and it worked, he laughed.

“I’m going to be later than I thought but I should only be a couple more hours.” That put it to around 1 am or so.

“I’ll probably be asleep when you get back.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to find a special way to wake you up.” 

_Damn it_ , he was only on the phone and I was getting aroused again. Pam looked at me right then and smirked. She must have heard what he said. I kept forgetting that vampire hearing was so sensitive and they could hear from great distances.

“Stop that! I’m trying to keep a clear head; besides we need to talk first, remember?”

“Sure, I remember.” His tone of voice implied a different idea such as... _‘ha we’ll see which happens first’_.

“Ok then, well… get back to work, we’re busy watching a movie.” I replied.

“What movie?” He asked.

“Blade Trinity.” I replied and he laughed.

“I like that one.”

“Me too.”

“Give the phone back to Pam. I’ll see you later… _my_ _lover_.”

Oh fuck. That sent a shiver down my spine and he laughed. I shook my head and handed her the phone without saying another word. She listened but didn’t say anything before she hung up. She smiled at me.

“I’m going to go upstairs on that nice patio of his. I need some fresh air.”

Somehow she didn’t look surprised at my exit; in fact, it looked like she was smirking. She continued watching the movie. I took another bottle of the synthetic blood which, to my surprise, actually tasted good. I chugged it down as quick as I could just in case the thought of it became repulsive enough for me to throw it back up. I rinsed the inside of the bottle and left it on the counter as I walked back up to Eric’s room. I couldn’t see a patio anywhere but I noticed a very strategically placed button on the far wall next to the jet black window covering. I pressed the button and immediately the window covering began to retract, revealing beautiful patio doors. I opened them and walked outside. Patio? This didn’t look like a patio. This was an exquisite terrace not just some cheap tiny little patio. It was marbled and had a gorgeous balcony that could comfortably fit 30 people. I walked to the edge of the terrace and leaned against the balcony while I stared into the night. There was a nice breeze in the air. I closed my eyes and let the wind blow over me. It was refreshing. If I wasn’t careful I was going to be spoiled from all of the exposure to elegance but it sure beat being exposed to a twisted, stalking, vampire-hating ex.

****

The more I thought about it the more I relished an escape from my past and the constant memories of Gran and my parents that plagued my mind. Therefore, against my better judgement, I ended up foregoing the conversation I was going to have about taking a break and instead stayed with Eric, agreeing to be _his_. He assigned associates to watch over me during the day and the evenings when he had to work at Fangtasia. I stayed in contact with Sookie by phone and emails, keeping her in the loop. They had subsequently moved my belongings into storage and then to Eric’s place after the first month. There was an unusual sense of normalcy in the situation and it was odd considering that I was shacked up with a vampire. He kept up the pretense in front of his superiors during the mandatory meetings with them but to me he showed an entirely different side altogether. I could see him slowly transitioning, allowing his humanity to resurface, and it was all too evident in how he interacted with me.

There were whispers in the vampire community about his emotional evolution and some believed it was directly related to his relationship with an unknown woman. Most of them didn’t know who the hell it was that Eric began a relationship with, except for Bill and Pam, but they became quite suspicious when they noticed Eric’s behaviour began to change, especially when he wasn’t the philanderer he was reputed to be. It was a commonly known fact that Eric had a taste for seducing human women and they didn’t mind. They willingly gave themselves over to him but of late he was seemingly disinterested and preoccupied, much to the annoyance of Pam. It wasn’t that she didn’t like me it was what his newfound transition would mean to them and their position of authority in the area. She feared that his emotional evolution would attract unwanted attention from those higher up who would question what could possibly impact Eric enough to reacquire his humanity and that would most likely lead to an investigation which would lead them to me. Once they got a sniff of my abilities they would most assuredly want to take me as their pet and she knew Eric well enough that he would fight tooth and nail, even to his death, to prevent that from happening. It would put both their lives on the line and that is what bothered her the most… their eventual demise because of my inadvertent interference.

One night in particular she had enough of staying quiet on the subject and brought it up while they talked in his office.

“Eric, people are beginning to notice that you’re not yourself.”

“Excuse me?” He frowned.

“You don’t drink from other women or participate in orgies with them anymore. Word is getting around that you’re not the same Eric you used to be.”

“I have no desire to drink or fuck other women.” Eric replied plainly.

“Because of Nikki.” She rolled her eyes.

“Yes Pam, because of Nikki.” He replied, annoyed with her tone.

“Your attachment to her is going to get us killed.”

“It’s fine.” He replied stiffly.

“It’s not fine and you know it. You have a reputation to uphold and word is spreading that a human has manipulated you to become something you’re not.”

“I don’t like your tone.” He stated firmly and stood up.

“I’m trying to protect you.” She insisted.

“She is not manipulating me.”

“You have changed!” Pam replied. “Your feelings for her are clouding your judgement.”

“Just because I choose not to drink or fuck other women doesn’t mean I’m not the same Eric.”

“Don’t you think it’s going to get back to the Queen that you’re under the spell of some human who is the first one in a thousand years to charm you into being monogamous? Eric Northman is a voracious, vicious, Viking! He takes what he wants, when he wants. He’s not some panty whipped puppy dog who stays with one human no matter how good her elf-fairy pussy tastes!”

This angered him greatly and he threw a chair at her which she deftly shoved aside. He lunged at her and put his hand at her throat after slamming her against the wall, causing an indent behind her.

“Don’t you ever disrespect her or me again!” He snarled as he gripped her throat even tightly. “Or I’ll take your head off!”

“I’m sorry, Eric.” She squeaked and he removed his hand. Bloodied tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m just worried about you.”

“Don’t be.” He snapped and walked away from her.

“What do you think is going to happen if Sophie-Anne finds out about her?”

“Only you and Bill know the truth.” Eric replied.

“She gives off an aura, a presence, and anyone who comes near her can tell that she’s not normal, not just human.”

“Why do you think I make her stay at my house?” He retorted. “So nobody can get near her.”

“We both know there are humans out there who know what she really is.” Pam replied. “The vampire haters know and they’re trying to find her. What if one of them leaks that information and it gets back to the Queen?”

“We’ll deal with that if it happens but until then I don’t want to talk about this again.” Eric snapped and left the office.

She stood there, wiped the blood from her face and sighed. She had a feeling things were going to change… for the worse but she wasn’t sure when. She left the office and closed the door behind her as she walked back into the bar. She could see him sitting on his throne and staring straight ahead, ignoring the admiration from the fangbangers who were ogling him. Suddenly, she had an idea that might help diffuse the rumours and keep his reputation intact. She walked over and stepped onto the platform, taking her usual place beside his throne.

“I have an idea.” She whispered. “Which might help.”

“What is it?” He asked quietly.

“We could set up a small stage with a pole in front of your platform and hire a dancer as entertainment for your viewing pleasure. You could pretend to be amorous with her in front of everyone and then afterwards sit on your throne as she dances for you.”

“It might work.” He whispered and nodded once.

“I can set up auditions right away.”

“Do it.” He replied and she smiled.

“You have to make the display convincing for anyone to believe you’re having sex with her.” Pam commented.

He didn’t like the idea of being amorous with anyone else because he knew it would hurt me if I found out but he also knew that he had to somehow preserve his reputation to avoid anyone from finding out about me.

“Fine.” He replied. “But nobody tells Nikki.”

“I’ll make sure they know.” She replied. “Though I don’t see what the big deal is if you have one conquest.”

“Because it will hurt her.” He replied.

“You never cared before.” Pam answered.

“She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met and I never cared about anyone until now.”

“Then do this for her.” Pam replied. “It’s to protect her _and_ us. She would understand that.”

“I doubt that.” He replied. “But I’ll play my part so long as everyone keeps their fucking mouths shut.”

“Done.” She nodded.

When he came home that night I was sleeping soundly in our bed and he watched me fondly. He didn’t want to lie to me but he knew that Pam was right. In order to prevent Queen Sophie-Anne and the authority from investigating his behaviour he had to do something to uphold his reputation as a ladies man. Pam’s plan was the perfect way to do this. Setting up a pole for an exotic dancer that performed for him would solidify his status somewhat but being amorous with her in front of everyone would leave no doubt in anyone’s mind.

He undressed, got into bed with moving right beside me and then put a hand on my waist. I felt his touch and began to wake up slowly. I rubbed my eyes and then turned to face him.

“Hey.” I smiled. He looked into my eyes with a slight smile. “Something wrong?” I asked when I saw his expression.

“Long night.” He replied.

“Anything I can do to help?” I asked. He slid his hand down my waist and underneath my panties, heading south.

“Yes.” He whispered.

I didn’t reply. I began kissing him as he removed my underwear and then his hand found its trajectory. He stimulated me and I began moaning. In a flash he ripped off the remaining lingerie and began sucking the nipples on my breasts as he raised my legs and positioned himself between them. He moved his lips to my mouth and kissed me for a moment before entering me and thrusting powerfully. He kept it up until we were both spent. He stayed on top of me as he caught his breath and he looked into my eyes.

“Did that help?” I asked with a smirk.

“Yes but I’m not done.”

He lowered himself until his face was between my legs and his hands began massaging my breasts while he began licking and sucking me to his heart’s content. I kept having orgasm after orgasm and he kept it up until I was completely exhausted. I was surprised that we didn’t change to other positions but he seemed intent on just focusing on me and that was fine by me. When he was finally done he lied down beside me and smiled.

“Wow.” I replied. “To what do I owe the Olympic oral sex and multiple orgasms?”

“I just wanted to do something different.” He commented as though it was no big deal to give me a zillion orgasms.

“Well I’d like to return the favour.” I smirked and moved to do the same but he shockingly stopped me.

“I appreciate the thought but tonight was about you. Another time, perhaps.” Wow.

He kissed my forehead and then got off the bed and walked to the bathroom. That was strange. I heard the water run and then the shower. It wasn’t like Eric to turn down oral sex, ever, but he was determined that the night ended with me being sexually satiated instead of the attention being diverted to him. I guess I shouldn’t have been that surprised. Ever since I began living with him he wasn’t the same vampire he used to be. He didn’t have a collection of fangbangers anymore and I could tell he cared about me a lot more than he was willing to admit, even to me. He was evolving and his humanity was creeping back but he didn’t seem to mind. The only problem is that it was hard to tell what he was thinking. For some reason that was shielded from me but maybe it was just as well. Nobody really should have access to someone’s thoughts all the time, it could drive you mad.

When he was finished the shower he came out wrapped in a towel and then quickly changed into a pair of Calvin Klein pyjama pants. I was in bed, still nude, under the sheets and I patted the spot beside me with a grin. He smiled slightly.

“I would love to join you but I have to take care of some business arrangements in my office.”

“Oh.” I replied.

“I shouldn’t be long.” He replied and came over to give me a quick little peck on the lips.

“Okay.” I smiled afterwards and then leaned against the pillows.

He left the room, closing the door behind him and I decided to put the TV on and wait up for him. After a while I fell asleep and he still hadn’t returned back to bed. He was in his office pacing around the room. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Pam said. If word got out about me then Queen Sophie-Anne would demand to see me and most definitely would not allow me to return home with him. He picked up his cell and called Pam.

“Eric?” Pam asked, surprised. “I thought you would be busy with Nikki.”

“I want you to start auditioning dancers right away.”

“I’ll get the word out.” Pam replied.

“Now.” He stated firmly. “Some of our contacts are still awake.”

“Fine.” She mumbled and began going through her contact list.

“Call me when you have some prospects.” He replied.

“It might take a few days.” She added.

“The hell it will.” Eric replied. “There will be a lineup of women who will dance for me.”

“Now that’s the Eric I remember.” She smiled.

“It’s just for show, Pam.” Eric replied.

“I know, I know.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying it wouldn’t hurt to protect her by being the Eric everyone is familiar with.”

“Exactly why we need dancers.” He replied.

“You want more than one?” Pam asked with a smile.

“Yes. One positioned right directly in front of me and a few others to distract the patrons.”

“Good idea.” She replied. “Any physical requirements?”

“You know what I like.” Eric replied.

“I do.” She smiled.

“Then take care of it and get back to me.”

“Fine.” She replied and he disconnected the call.

Pam dialled the number for a bartender in a local strip club that owed her a favour.

“Pam?” He asked nervously.

“Hello Brian.” She purred. “You owe me a favour or two.”

“I do.” He agreed and swallowed hard.

“Eric has decided to add some entertainment to our nightclub and requires some women to dance for him.”

“He wants strippers?” Brian asked.

“No, just a few beautiful, sexy women who can work a pole and know how to dance.”

“I think I know a few.” He replied. “I’ll have to get back to you.”

“You have a day.” Pam stated firmly.

“That doesn’t give me much time.” Brian replied.

“I don’t have much time. You know Eric.” She commented. “He doesn’t like to wait.”

“Fine…I’ll send some your way tomorrow night.” He replied.

“Good.” She smiled and disconnected the call.

She sent Eric a text message advising that there would be a few girls auditioning the following night after the bar closed. He noticed the message and frowned but sent a single reply.

_“Good.”_ He still didn’t like the idea but at least it would appease Pam and hopefully any nosey spectators.

He turned the light off in the office before leaving and shutting the door behind him. He walked down the hall and back upstairs to his room. When he opened the door and noticed I had fallen asleep he sighed quietly and shut off the TV. He was careful not to disturb me when he shut off the light and got into bed. He stared at me for the rest of the night hoping that their plan wouldn’t backfire. When dawn began approaching the blinds in his room automatically began to close and made it light tight. He put on a small lamp in the corner before getting back into bed and shutting his eyes. When I woke up the next day he was out and there was no waking him up.

I would typically start my day with a shower and since there wasn’t much for me to do during the day when I was stuck at his property I began walking outside for hours at a time to get some exercise and to keep myself busy. I would bring my cell and my mp3 player while I explored behind his house. When I was finished that I would head back inside and go to his library to read some of the books he had collected over a millennium. I was sure he kept most of them for research but I found a lot of them to be interesting. There were a lot of journals from people he met along the way that detailed experiences with various supernatural creatures, beings, and witches who even dabbled in the dark arts or the demonic realm. That scared me. It was bad enough to contend with monsters but demons? How could you fight them? I suppose if you were a skilled witch you would know the right spells or incantations to keep them at bay. I stayed away from those books though. I stuck with the ones that gave me a history of the decades he lived through. It was research for me in a way, to be able to understand what it must have been like to go through the centuries alone and without your family. He never talked about them but I’m sure that when he was turned he left behind people he loved and the memories probably crept up on him here and there. It was probably why he refrained from getting too close to humans, until me. He didn’t want to dredge up a painful past or anything that might trigger a memory of someone he loved and lost. I could certainly relate.

I was doing my best not to think about my parents or what happened to Gran or my aunts, uncles and cousins. When I thought about it too much the ache returned and it hurt like hell. Eric was certainly a pleasant distraction from all of that. At first I was just caught up in the blood tie and sex and it was glorious but the more time we spent together the more I grew to love him. There was a part of me that worried he would get bored with me and move onto the next more appealing human but when I remembered all the little changes in his behaviour I was sure that he wasn’t the same player he used to be. I knew he had to keep up appearances at the club but aside from that he was mine and I was his, exclusively.

One evening, just before the sun set, I put on a nice outfit intent on accompanying Eric to Fangtasia for a break in the tedium. It had been almost three months and I desperately needed a night out. When he woke up from his slumber and got dressed he eyed me curiously.

“You look nice.” He smiled.

“I was thinking that I could accompany you to Fangtasia tonight.” I replied.

“No.” He replied firmly.

“I’m tired of being cooped up here and doing nothing.” I retorted gently. “It would be a nice change to get out and you wouldn’t have to worry about me because I’d be right there where you could see me.”

“No.” He stated in a firmer tone. “It’s not safe. You never know who could be watching.”

“It’s been three months.” I countered. “They wouldn’t expect me to suddenly show up now.”  
“I said no and that’s final.” He replied firmly and left the room. Well that pissed me off and I followed him down the hall.

“Eric be reasonable. I’m starting to feel trapped. You can’t just keep me locked up here and throw away the key.”

He turned around and got in my face. His gaze was fearsome.

“I will do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe and protected even if I have to literally put you in a cage and lock you away.”

“You can’t be serious.” I frowned and crossed my arms.

“I’m very serious.” He replied unapologetically. “I won’t compromise your safety.”

“We’ve had this discussion before.” I replied stubbornly. “I’m not a kid and I won’t have you treating me like one.”

“Then listen to what I say!” He snapped.

“Since when do you think you can order me around?”

“You’re mine and you’ll do what you’re told!”

“I’m not your property!”

“You belong to me!” He gripped my arm.

“You’re being an asshole right now.” I snapped. He frowned.

“All I’m trying to do is protect you and you’re being a stubborn bitch.” He let go of my arm and walked down the hall.

That hurt. _A lot_. It wasn’t like him to be so harsh or possessive. Tears fell down my cheeks but I didn’t follow him, I turned around and walked down the opposite side of the house toward one of the guest rooms. I slammed the door hard and sat down in the middle of the bed with my arms crossed. We hadn’t fought like that since the time he moved me from my apartment to his house. I took a few deep breaths while the tears continued to fall. Something had to be going on with him. It wasn’t like him to snap at me. There had to be more to this than what he was saying. I got off the bed and left the guest room intent on finding out what was wrong. I walked down the stairs and peeked into the living room but it was empty. One of his associates greeted me in the hall on my way to the kitchen.

“Can I help you?” He asked.

“I’m just looking for Eric.” I replied casually.

“He left for Fangtasia.” He replied. Ouch. I didn’t think I was in the guest room for that long. I looked at my watch.

“What?” My eyes bulged. “But it’s only 7 pm. He doesn’t usually go this early.”

“Did you need something?” He asked.

“No, I’m fine.” I replied dismally and walked to the living room.

I sat on the couch and pulled out my cell from my pocket. I had stewed in the room for about 30 minutes which meant he should have been at Fangtasia by then. I sent him a text message.

_“Eric, is everything okay? You aren’t normally so hostile toward me and you left before I could apologize for snapping at you.”_

After a few minutes he finally replied.

_“Everything is fine. I had to be at Fangtasia early because we’re going to be hiring new staff and I want to make sure they’re suitable.”_

Okay…

_“I am sorry for yelling at you.”_ I added.

 _“It’s fine. I’m sorry you’re unhappy.”_ Wait, _what_? I wasn’t unhappy.

 _“I’m not unhappy, I just feel cooped up and need to get out. I know you’re trying to protect me but I’m going to go nuts if we don’t get out in the real world soon._ ”

_“I don’t want to get into another argument. I know you’re going to disagree with me but I know more than anyone what’s out there in the real world and I’m trying to keep you out of it. I hope it won’t be for too much longer but I can’t take the chance that we go somewhere and you’re put into the line of fire.”_

_“You make it sound like there is an army after me. I’ll be fine if you’re by my side.”_

_“Just taking precautions. There are some things I can’t protect you from.”_

_“Like what?”_

_“I’ll elaborate at a later time. I must go. Don’t wait up.”_

Huh. He didn’t say much of anything except he indicated he was more worried than before. I wished he would have told me what the heck was on his mind. If he had a bunch of vampires at his bar I would have been more than adequately protected but his tone of voice implied that there was more to be concerned about. I just didn’t know what.

Meanwhile, back at Fangtasia, Eric had a knot in his stomach. He hated not giving me all the details but the less I knew about the vampire hierarchy he had to submit to, the better. All I had to know was that it wasn’t safe to join him at Fangtasia and that I had to stay off the grid and out of sight. He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep it up though. He might have to relocate me some place that wouldn’t be connected to me. Sooner or later someone would try to make an unannounced visit to his house and would meet me in the process. He couldn’t let that happen.

Later on that evening about four women walked into Fangtasia asking for Pam. She advised them to stick around until after the bar closed to audition for Eric privately. They agreed, ordered some drinks and mingled with the crowd while they waited. Pam walked over to Eric who was still sitting on his thrown but seemingly unaware of the potential dancers that walked in.

“Eric.” Pam stated and he looked up at her.

“What?” He asked sharply.

“The dancers have arrived.”

“Good.” He replied and looked at his cell phone again.

“What’s wrong?” Pam asked quietly. Eric looked up at her and shook his head.

“Not here.” He whispered.

“You’ve been in a foul mood since you arrived.” When he didn’t reply Pam, continued. “I assume it has to do with Nikki.”

“We got into a disagreement.” Eric replied.

“What about now?” Pam asked and rolled her eyes.

“I said _later_.” Eric snapped.

“Fine.” She replied and walked off the platform and into the crowd.

He couldn’t risk discussing his personal business in the bar where people could overhear. It was one of the reasons he soundproofed the basement so that even other supernaturals who visited the bar wouldn’t be able to hear what took place behind closed doors. He looked at his cell phone once more before putting it back into his pocket.

I was almost driving myself up the wall wondering what the hell was going on with Eric. Before I could dwell on it my cell rang. I looked at the caller ID, it was Sookie.

“Hey Sookie.” I stated with forced enthusiasm.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Why do you assume something is wrong?”

“I can hear it in your voice.”

“It’s no big deal, Eric and I had a fight and it’s bothering me.”

“About what?”

“He’s paranoid about my safety and he won’t let me leave his home other than going for a walk on the property.”

“Well you did have a vision of your psycho ex and his evil plans for you…” She commented. “And your visions always come true.”

“Well yes… but it’s been a few months and everything is fine, more than fine.”

“Yeah… hence your tone.” She sighed.

“It just feels like there is more to this than he is telling me.”

“With vampires there always is.” She commented. “But there is a lot of crap that goes on with them that you don’t want to have anything to do with, believe me.” I sighed.

“Maybe you’re right.” I replied. “Maybe it’s just pressure from all the vampire crap.”

“Probably and keep in mind he’s still getting used to his human feelings coming back. It took some getting used to when Bill was adjusting and Eric’s a lot older than Bill.”

“You have a point.”

“Bill said that Eric’s never had a relationship with a human before, never mind live with one, so this is a big deal.”

“True…”

“So he might be overdoing things a bit because it’s new and he really just wants to protect the woman he loves.”

“Okay, okay.” I replied and she laughed.

“Just being honest.”

“Thank you.” I replied. “I needed to hear it.” I paused. “So how are things with you?”

“The same.” She commented.

“You sound happy at least.”

“I am happy with Bill.”

“Good. You deserve it.”

“Aren’t you happy with Eric?”

“Of course, I am and as much as it pains me to admit this, it’s true what the fangbangers say…” She laughed.

“Yeah. I know. Sex with a vampire is amazing… but then again I have nobody else to compare it to.”

“Well I do and it’s not even close.” I replied. “It’s easy to get addicted to it.”

“Yeah it is.” She chuckled again. “Well, it’s about time you found someone. It’s been too long.”

“Ditto.” I replied.

“Well hon, I guess I better get going. My break’s over.”

“Love you, Sookie.”

“Love you too, Nikki.”

She disconnected the call and I put my cell in my pocket. I felt a lot better after that and it wasn’t hard to relax.

Later on when the bar closed and Pam locked the doors to the public while the rest of the bar staff remained to observe the auditions. She had one of the bartenders put some music on while the dancers began to dance for Eric. He pretended to stare at them with great interest. They would definitely suit the bar but one in particular, Brandie, a buxom, curvaceous blonde peaked his interest. She slightly resembled me and our figures were similar except for the tattoo she had on her lower back. He was almost in a trance when she danced and Pam noticed. When she finished he stood up.

“You will dance in front of my platform.” He stated firmly. “The rest of you will dance at key points throughout the bar.”

He left the platform and subsequently the room after that. The dancers were pleased, especially Pam who realized that Brandie was exactly what they needed to preserve his reputation. She unlocked the front doors and let the staff and the dancers leave the bar. She locked it behind them when they were gone and then she walked toward the back of the building into the hall that lead to Eric’s office. The door was open.

“That went well.” She commented with a smile. He wasn’t smiling. “For fuck’s sake Eric! What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t feel comfortable lying to her.” Eric replied.

“You’re not lying to her. You’re withholding information to protect her.”

“She wouldn’t see it that way. Omitting the truth is the same as not telling the truth.”

“Ugh.” Pam rolled her eyes. “You never had a problem with lying before.” Pam replied.

“It’s different with her.” Eric mumbled.

“Well it’s for her own damn good. If she knew what the hell was gunning for her she’d do something stupid and no doubt put our asses on the line while getting herself killed.”

“She is tenacious.” He agreed with a sigh.

“She’s beyond tenacious.” Pam replied. “I’ve never met a human woman who was so stubborn, not even Sookie.”

“It’s one of the things I love about her.” He smiled.

“Yeah well if you want to keep her alive we both have a part to play in this.”  
“I’m aware.” He muttered. “But I still think I should be honest with her about it.”

“Hell _no_.” Pam shook her head. “She’s a human woman—she’s not going to be rational about this. She’ll get jealous and insecure and no doubt lose her mind if she knew the details.”

He considered what Pam said and she had a valid point. If he had to schmooze with any of the dancers to keep up the pretense of his persona, then there was no way in hell that I would approve. I was just too stubborn when it came to moral boundaries. I wouldn’t see the reasons behind it and I would only take it personally as a form of rejection, which in his mind wasn’t the case at all. Therefore, it was abundantly clear, I had to be kept in the dark about their plan. What I didn’t know couldn’t hurt me. He just wasn’t sure if I would get a vision of it but he didn’t want to risk it. He knew a witch that owed him a favour and she could cast a spell that would block me from seeing what he did when he wasn’t with me. That could work and I would be none the wiser and safe. He called the witch right away and within the hour the spell was done, unbeknownst to anyone else, including Pam. Shortly after that he returned home to have a private meeting with his associates.

Before Eric returned home I was jolted awake by a strange sensation. I sat up and rubbed the chills on my arms. It was an eerie feeling, akin to that of someone walking over your grave. I didn’t get a vision of anything but something major had happened, I just didn’t know what that something was. I tried to go back to sleep but it was useless. I tossed and turned for a good hour. The clock read 4 am. Fangtasia was closed but Eric wasn’t in bed yet. Odd. I got out of bed, picked up my cell, and left the room after putting on a robe. The house was quiet, too quiet. I wandered downstairs straining to hear any sound but there wasn’t a single thing. It was dead silent, horror movie silent. I frowned as I reached the landing and began walking down the hall and looked into the rooms as I passed by. There were a few hallway lights on but nobody was around and that was disconcerting. Eric had made it all too clear that I was to be guarded when he was at work. I crossed my arms and debated about calling him on my cell. It felt like something was very wrong. On a whim, I decided to have a peek outside. I opened the front door, stepped off the main porch, and walked in front of the house. I could hear the very faint sound of a conversation but I wasn’t sure if I should have been relieved or worried. I followed the sound around the corner and arched my eyebrows. Eric was quietly talking with several associates. The second he caught my scent he ran over to me and gently put his hands on the sides of my arms.

“You should be inside.” He stated calmly. “Is something wrong?”

“It felt like something was off and the house was too quiet so I came out here.” I looked at his associates curiously. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine.” He smiled slightly. “I simply had a small meeting regarding the new employees at Fangtasia.”

“Outside?” I asked curiously.

“I didn’t want anyone to disturb you.” He replied.

I seriously doubted they would disturb me if they had a meeting in his office on the main floor but I just brushed it off.

“Is that why you’re late?”

“Yes.” He nodded once. “But everything is now sorted.”

“Okay.” I mumbled.

“Go back to bed. I’ll be up shortly.” He kissed my cheek.

I nodded and walked back into the house. I wasn’t awake long enough to know if he joined me right away or not. I was abruptly exhausted and passed out the second my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up the next morning his arm was lying on my bare waist. I didn’t want to move. I just laid there beside him, enjoying the feeling of our bodies beside each other. Somehow I felt like I needed to take advantage of the time we had together. I wasn’t sure why but it felt like everything was about to change.

Over the course of the next few weeks there was an eerie hush in the house. Things felt uncomfortably bland and normal. Too normal to be right. Eric had mastered the art of keeping his persona intact at Fangtasia while he ogled the dancers and engaged in some very public kissing and groping with Brandie. I was none the wiser. I didn’t perceive or notice anything out of the ordinary where Eric was concerned. He gave me no reason to. He was back to his usual insatiable self and couldn’t seem to get enough of me. Though life in general was extraordinarily dull, during the day while he slept, our sex life more than compensated and I was entirely too distracted by my addiction to it. Occasionally I would remember that there was more to life than mind blowing sex and when I tried to talk to Eric about our future or me finally getting some much needed time out of the house he wouldn’t delve too deep. He almost kept me at arm’s length emotionally and where my freedom was concerned. He would find sultry and sly ways to distract me and then I would forget it all. He suggested a few times for Sookie to visit for a while but I knew she couldn’t just leave her job at Merlotte’s for an indefinite period of time. I wanted to see her but she had bills to pay and couldn’t just move over to vampire land. We had to have a sense of normalcy in our lives because our gifts made us feel like freaks and we had to somehow fit into society to still feel human. My life was beginning to feel surreal. I felt like a kept woman. I didn’t work, I lived in a mansion and had everything I could want or need. It was unsettling. My life felt too good, too perfect, and too calm for it to be real or for it to last. The other shoe had to drop at some point.


	4. Misdirection

Meanwhile, it had become increasingly evident that Eric was being watched at Fangtasia. Sophie Anne’s associates had been making frequent visits to the bar and eventually they showed up every night. They made general inquiries about the patrons and the business but it was apparent, to him and Pam, they were looking for me. They kept an eye on every human who entered the bar and would watch Eric’s reaction towards them to see if it gave anything away. Their behaviour didn’t go unnoticed but he never let on he knew what they were up to. He kept up the charade in front of everyone without breaking character.

The dilemma, however, was that Brandie didn’t know it was a charade and one night just before the bar closed she made a comment about them continuing their groping in his office. Knowing full well that Sophie Anne’s lackeys were studying his every move he couldn’t refuse and they nodded and motioned for him to go ahead. Pam appeared at his side and told him that they would keep an eye on the bar while he catered to his primal urges.

Internally he was torn. He didn’t want to follow through but he couldn’t refuse Brandie and risk anyone investigating the motives behind his refusal… which would inevitably lead back to me. For my sake he had to comply. He looked up at Pam and advised her to bring Brandie to his office. She nodded and Brandie followed her off the platform and down the hall toward his office. She stopped for a moment only to look back at him with a sultry expression. Eric forced a smile and licked his lips once, giving the impression that he was hungry to fulfill his lust. He stood up and slowly got off the platform, making his way toward the office.

He secretly intended to glamour Brandie into thinking they had sex but the office wasn’t soundproof and it would be obvious to the eavesdropping vampires that it was a ruse if they couldn’t hear it for themselves. It was a well known fact that Eric didn’t care who heard or saw him having sex and if he suddenly changed his behaviour now it would raise suspicions. Therefore, against his newfound monogamous stance, he gave in and had sex with Brandie right on his desk.

He pictured my face and went to town, screwing her brains out as though it was actually me and not her. When it was over, he was disgusted with himself but he didn’t say anything. He merely got dressed and motioned for her to do the same. She was too lost in post coital bliss to be bothered by his abrupt behaviour. She got dressed and he motioned for her to leave the office. Pam was waiting in the hall and escorted her back to her platform where she continued to dance. Eric remained in his office. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger but remained quiet.

Sophie Anne’s associates seemed somewhat satisfied after overhearing their tryst. They remained a short while longer. Eric, however, didn’t return to his throne. He remained in his office for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts and control his emotions. It wasn’t until Pam felt a twinge of sadness that she walked back to his office to see if he was alright. When she opened the door he looked at her and sighed. Her eyes widened when she noticed two bloodied tears streaming down his cheeks. She shut the door immediately and locked it. She walked over to the wet bar in the far corner, turned on a tap and ran a cloth underneath the water. When it was sufficiently damp, she walked over to him and began wiping his tears away without saying a word. It pained her greatly to see his turmoil. He didn’t let her finish. He grabbed the wet cloth from her hand and finished wiping.

“Keep this to yourself.” He whispered in her ear and she nodded. She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be out in a moment. See to it that our guests are looked after.” She nodded again and left, closing the door behind her.

Prior to walking back out to the bar she took a deep breath. She felt a slight twinge of guilt. It had been decades since she was enamored with someone enough that she considered it might be the beginnings of love but she never pursued it. It would have meant leaving Eric, and she could never do that. However; seeing Eric and his behaviour since meeting me, she never realized the effect love could have on someone and she was worried. She only wanted Eric to be happy but she used to think that happiness came in the form of an endless string of fangbangers who willingly threw themselves at him. She never thought for a moment that one seemingly odd human woman could capture his heart and give him any measure of happiness, or torment. While she wasn’t a huge fan of me she did like me because I wasn’t like the other humans she met but she also knew that my unusual control over Eric would lead to bigger problems down the road. It wasn’t like Eric to feel guilty after having sex with a fangbanger but it also wasn’t like Eric to be monogamous in the first place. She didn’t know what it meant to be that committed to someone. She had never met someone who had a tie to her like I had to Eric. It wasn’t just a blood tie but a strong emotional tie and that was foreign to her.

Back at Eric’s mansion, during the entire tryst between Eric and Brandie, I had a very erotic dream about someone I didn’t recognize. He was very attractive, tall, muscular, had dark hair, brown eyes and a smile that lit up his face. I had never seen him before and I didn’t know why I was dreaming about him. I wasn’t sure what spurred it on but I awoke with a start when it finished. The effects of the dream were tangible and I was breathing hard, as though I had just finished having sex. I didn’t have a chance to think about it though because a wave of guilt and revulsion hit me hard. I suppose dreaming about having sex with someone else made me feel like I cheated on Eric, which I obviously didn’t but the dream affected me, nonetheless. I debated about telling him. It didn’t make sense to talk about a dream about someone I never met and there was a good chance that he might overreact and misconstrue the dream altogether. Nope. I had to keep it to myself. I lied back down and turned on my side. It took a good 30 minutes before I was able to fall back asleep.

Several cities away Queen Sophie-Anne sat quietly while she listened to one of her associates tell her what one of his scouts overheard about the human that Eric was rumoured to be infatuated with. At first she didn’t pay much attention but as he blathered on there were a few key points that stuck out in her mind.

“Word on the streets in Bon Temps is that a stupid aggravating vampire hater was on the lookout for this human because of her special abilities.”

“What special abilities?” She arched a single eyebrow.

“What those abilities were weren’t made clear but it would help them in their cause against us if they could find her and use her.”

She sighed and her associate knew that she was angry. Eric never divulged any information about me other than I was an obstinate human who was frigid, overprotective of my family and generally avoided vampires because they annoyed me. He made me sound like a gigantic pain in the ass but otherwise I was nothing worth wasting his time on. Based on this new information Eric either lied to her or he didn’t know the truth about me. It was highly unlikely that Eric didn’t know the truth about me seeing as he made it his business to see all and know all within his district but the fact that he appeared ignorant was very disconcerting to Sophie-Anne and she wasn’t impressed. Her associate rambled on about the rumours of a human who captured Eric’s interest but when it was investigated the only human he had an affinity for was the stripper he hired to be his private dancer and other than being a great piece of ass she wasn’t anything special enough to warrant their attention. For vampires a nice piece of ass was a dime a dozen. They could usually get whomever they wanted because of their reputations for being incredible lovers.

“Get Eric on the phone now.” She stated curtly and her associate pulled out his cell phone.

Back at Fangtasia the final guests had just left the building and the doors were locked. Eric contemplated staying in his office for a few more hours before returning home but he decided against it. He closed and locked his office door and was about to leave when his cell phone began ringing. Pam was walking beside him and looked at the display when he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Why is André calling you at this hour?” Pam asked suspiciously.

“I don’t know but it can’t be good.” Eric muttered as it kept ringing.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Pam asked.

“No.” Eric ignored the call and let it go to his voicemail.

“They’re not going to like that.” Pam commented.

“I don’t care.” Eric blurted angrily.

Pam arched her eyebrows. This wasn’t going to end well and she knew it.

When Eric didn’t answer his cell phone André arched his eyebrows and disconnected the call before it went to voicemail. Sophie-Anne was angry. It was written all over her face. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled Eric’s number immediately.

The second Eric noticed it was Sophie-Anne he sighed.

“Shit.” He muttered.

“You have to answer it.” Pam replied.

“Don’t tell me what I have to do.” Eric barked at her.

“I’m trying to protect your stubborn ass.” Pam retorted. “We both know if you ignore her call she will punish you.”

“Fuck!” Eric blurted. He took a deep breath and then finally answered on the third ring. “Sophie-Anne? To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Why didn’t you answer André’s call?” She demanded abruptly.

“I was having sex and just finished getting off when he disconnected the call.” Eric answered calmly. Pam smirked.

“I suppose I wouldn’t answer the phone either.” She replied, calmer.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Eric asked curiously. “I was just about to leave and go home.”

“Good.” She replied. “We’ll be leaving here shortly and we’ll meet you there.”

A panicked expression appeared on Eric’s face and Pam’s eyes bulged.

“Wouldn’t it be more convenient to meet here?” Eric replied calmly, trying not to arouse suspicion. “It’s closer and I can provide you with a better selection of beverages.”

“Your home will suffice.” She replied. “We’ll see you shortly.” She disconnected the call.

“Jävel!” Eric snapped.

“Shit!” Pam added.

“We have to move her out of there immediately!” Eric panicked and then pulled out his cell. He dialled frantically. “It’s me.” He stated somberly. “There is a serious situation. You need to find a beautiful, random human and bring her to the house. Keep her out of sight until I instruct you to bring her out. Wake Nikki up and tell her we have to relocate her to a safe house. Do not tell her about the other human. I’ll explain more when I get there.”

He disconnected his cell and then looked at Pam.

“Sophie-Anne will be at least a couple of hours.” Pam replied. “We’ll have time to move her.”

Eric didn’t say anything. Pam followed him to his car and they got in and drove off right away.

I had another dream about the beautiful, tanned, dark haired guy. We were walking through an unfamiliar forest and talking. He had a smile that lit up his face and could easily capture my heart. I couldn’t hear what we were discussing but it appeared as though we were friends and I was happy to be near him. The dream ended when a cold hand abruptly shook me awake.

“Nikki! I’m sorry to disturb you but there is an emergency and we have to relocate you immediately.” A voice stated.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. He had pulled out luggage and was throwing my clothes into it in a hurry.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Eric will explain when he arrives.” The unfamiliar vampire replied.

“I can pack my own clothes.” I replied.

“When he gets here you have to be ready to leave.”

“Oh.”

He used his vampire speed and packed up all of my personal belongings into several suitcases. I had only just got changed into a fresh set of clothes in the bathroom when he shut the final suitcase. I quickly brushed my hair and then put it up in a slightly tousled bun on the top of my head.

“Eric should be here any moment.” He stated and began taking my luggage downstairs.

I put on a pair of comfortable shoes and followed him downstairs. I waited on the bench in the main corridor, fidgeting nervously. I didn’t have to wait very long. Eric must have been speeding all the way home. He breezed in the front door and grabbed me into his arms.

“What’s going on?” I asked curiously.

“For your own protection and anonymity I have to relocate you immediately.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I can’t explain right now; we have to leave.” He grabbed my hand and led me outside.

He stopped beside one of his many cars. Pam was in the driver’s seat and waiting for us. His other associate put my luggage into the backseat and closed the door when he finished. 

“You’re not coming?” I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“I can’t tonight.” He replied.

“Tell me what is going on.” I asked firmly.

“For your own protection, it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Where am I going?” I asked curiously.

“I have a condo in Alexandria; Pam will drive you there.” That was at least a few hours away.

“When am I going to see you?” I asked

“Hopefully tomorrow night, if not in a few days. I have to avoid suspicious behaviour.” Eric replied.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” I asked, feeling as though he was keeping something important from me.

“I’m fine.” He replied. “I’m concerned about your welfare.”

Without warning he kissed me passionately and then pulled away, escorting me to the passenger side of the car. I hugged him tightly. There was a faint scent of perfume on his shirt and I wondered what that meant but I didn’t have a chance to ask. He all but put me in the car and shut the door behind me once I was seated. I lowered the window.

“Don’t make any stops.” Eric said to Pam. He put a hand on my face and he looked very sad. “I’ll call you when I can.”

He backed away from the car before I could say anything else. A tear fell down my cheek and he winced once he saw it but he didn’t say or do anything else. He motioned for Pam to leave and she did, right away after closing my window. The moment we were out of the driveway he turned to his associate.

“You have the other human?” Eric asked curiously.

“Yes.” The vampire nodded. “She’s in one of the guest rooms. I glamoured her to be quiet until we requested her presence.”

“Glamour her, then I want you to take her throughout the entire house, making sure her scent is prevalent, especially in my bedroom. Then I want her stripped down to her underwear and resting in my bed.”

“What is going on?” The vampire asked curiously.

“Queen Sophie-Anne is on her way and if she gets even one whiff of Nikki’s scent she will demand me to hand her over.”

“Got it.” The vampire nodded.

They both took off in a hurry. Eric went through the entire house making sure that none of my personal items were left behind while the other vampire glamoured a beautiful brunette and escorted her throughout the house, making sure her scent was fresh in each and every room. When they arrived at Eric’s bedroom, Eric was waiting wearing only a pair of jeans.

“That’s good enough for now.” Eric stated to the vampire and motioned for the brunette to walk over to him.

The vampire left and the brunette walked over to him, still in a hypnotic daze from the glamouring. Eric looked into her eyes and glamoured her into thinking she had been gladly staying there for a month at his request and that they were magnificent lovers. After this she removed her clothes and he followed suit. He made sure that they had sex in every single corner in his bedroom and bathroom. They finished in his bed and he bit her at the height of her climax. Only seconds later the doorbell rang downstairs. She was barely conscious, and she remained in the bed, nude and uncovered. He still had blood on his lips when he got dressed and walked downstairs to answer the door. When he opened it Sophie-Anne arched an eyebrow as she noticed the blood on his mouth.

“Am I interrupting anything?” She asked coyly.

“No, I just finished.” He replied and motioned for her to enter.

She walked inside with André and they looked around curiously. He noticed her inhale deeply and then continue throughout the house.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Eric asked.

“I’m here to inquire about your human pet.” She replied condescendingly.

“She’s upstairs in my bed but she’s barely conscious.” Eric smirked.

“You’re still the same Viking you’ve always been.” Sophie-Anne commented when she saw his reaction.

“I’ve always enjoyed a good fuck.” Eric replied. “Even as a human.”

“I’d like to see her.” Sophie-Anne replied and Eric nodded.

He motioned for them to follow him upstairs careful not to show any emotion whatsoever. He opened the door to his bedroom and the brunette was sprawled on the bed, fast asleep, her nakedness evident to all. Sophie-Anne smirked, enjoying the sight of the naked woman and wondering what she tasted like.

“I’ve never known you to keep a human pet at your home.” Sophie-Anne replied.

“She’s an exceptionally good lover. I like being able to take advantage of that when I come home from Fangtasia.”

Sophie-Anne walked into the ensuite bathroom and then walked around the room, inhaling deeply. She could smell the woman’s scent everywhere. She smelled delicious but not extraordinary like the human that Eric was rumoured to be in contact with. She looked over at Eric.

“You have a lover at Fangtasia?” Sophie-Anne asked. “A blonde one?”

“I have several lovers, actually.” Eric smirked. “I don’t see why I should limit myself to only one.”

“I concur.” Sophie-Anne replied. She paused for a moment and then motioned toward the door. “Let’s go downstairs, we need to talk.” Eric nodded.

They walked downstairs slowly as she inhaled deeply. She couldn’t detect any other scent other than the brunette’s and that made her curious about the rumours. Eric led her to the living room and offered her a drink. She politely declined.

“Let’s get straight to the point.” Sophie-Anne stated as her and André sat on one of the couches. “It’s come to my attention that you know of a human with special abilities.”

_Oh boy, here we go._ Eric thought.

“I’m not sure who you’re talking about. I don’t know any humans with a special ability other than keeping my dick satisfied.” That was a typical Eric answer and she almost laughed.

“Either someone has pulled the wool over your eyes or you’re incredibly ignorant of the humans in your charge.”

Eric kept his composure and looked at her with a clueless expression.

“There was a human from Bon Temps who visited Fangtasia a few times that you took a liking to.” She stated plainly.

“I wouldn’t say I liked Sookie Stackhouse; I wanted to fuck her but since she was obstinately prudish I became bored and moved on.” Eric replied without any hesitation.

“What about her cousin? Nikki Stackhouse?” Sophie-Anne asked. “I’ve heard she’s quite alluring.”

“She’s annoying as all hell.” Eric frowned. “She’s frigid, self-righteous, and judgemental.”

“You like her.” Sophie-Anne stated as she watched his expression.

“I do like her—that’s the damn problem. She’s the only human, aside from her cousin, that I wasn’t able to fuck. If Sookie wasn’t fucking Bill Compton, I’d say they were the poster girls for celibacy.”

“She’s celibate?” Sophie-Anne was shocked to hear this.

“Yes.” Eric stated, annoyed. “Despite my many attempts to fuck her she resisted every single time.”

“Why don’t you just glamour her?” Sophie-Anne asked. “Then you will satisfy your curiosity.”

“I have enough fangbangers to fuck without having to force one of them to satisfy my curiosity.”

“But you still seem so riled up over this one who got away.”

“She gets under your skin. It’s annoying as hell.” Eric snapped and this amused Sophie-Anne.

“Maybe she gets under your skin because of her special abilities.”

“I didn’t detect any special abilities but I was too annoyed by her frigidity to notice.”

Sophie-Anne studied his responses very closely. He seemed genuine but she still wanted to know more about me.

“I want you to find her and bring her to me.” Sophie-Anne demanded politely.

“I don’t know where she lives.” Eric replied, exasperated.

“She lives in Bon Temps.” Sophie-Anne stated and then looked at André who nodded.

“She did.” Eric replied. “But Bill advised me that Sookie helped her move to another city.”

“What city?” Sophie-Anne frowned.

“I don’t know. Sookie never told Bill and he didn’t press the issue.”

“I want you to find out immediately.” She demanded, annoyed. “If there is a human in your district that has special abilities I want her to be under my charge.”

“I’ll send someone to inquire immediately.” Eric stated and then nodded once.

Sophie-Anne stood up and André followed suit.

“That is all.” She stated firmly and Eric escorted the both of them to their vehicles.

When they left the driveway and he walked back into the house, the vampires in his charge gathered in the hallway. He looked at every single one of them.

“What do you want us to do?” One of them asked.

“The priority is preventing Nikki from being procured.” Eric answered. “Her safety is my utmost concern and I can’t guarantee that if she’s under Sophie-Anne’s charge.”

“She’ll probably have you under surveillance.” One of them commented.

“No doubt.” He replied. “Which is why going forward you will not discuss Nikki with anyone but Pam or myself and only in a secure location. If there is any mention of her name you will act as though she is someone you casually met and that she is of no importance to me.” They nodded in submission. “Additionally, her whereabouts are not to be disclosed to anyone. If I want someone to come into contact with her I, and I alone, will provide the location.” 

“Understood.” One of them commented and the rest nodded.

They left the room and went their separate ways to attend to their duties.

On the way back home Sophie-Anne looked at André.

“What do you think?” She asked.

“I’m not sure.” He replied. “His behaviour is the same as it always has been.”

“He seems infatuated with Nikki.” Sophie-Anne commented.

“Has anyone ever resisted your seduction?” Andre asked.

“No.” She smirked.

“I can’t think of anyone who has ever resisted Eric until now. From a man’s perspective, it would make her even more appealing—despite her consistent snubbing. It’s a male ego thing.”

“You do have a point.” Sophie-Anne replied. “But I still want to keep an eye on him.”

“24-7?” André asked.

“That’s unnecessary.” She replied. “I suggest maybe using that blonde stripper from his bar. Tell one of our associates to glamour her to be a scout for us but to never tell Eric. She can be our eyes and ears.”

“I’ll get on it immediately.” André replied.

On the way to Alexandria I kept asking Pam details about what was going on and why I was being moved but she ignored me. I gave up eventually and ended up falling asleep. She sighed when she noticed this and rolled her eyes. She began to feel uncomfortable around me because she didn’t just tolerate me anymore, she actually liked me and it bothered her to care about any human in more than just a flippant way. At first she thought it was a result of the blood tie through Eric but then she realized, over time, that I was having an effect on her—though she would never admit to it.

She was glad that I was being moved to Alexandria because she thought the distance would do Eric some good and maybe he could think straight without me affecting his judgement all the time. Although she would never admit it she was worried about me. She knew the lengths that some vampires took when it came to acquiring and using humans for their benefit. She knew that if Sophie-Anne got her hands on me it wouldn’t end well for anyone but especially me. She considered telling me the truth but sighed again when she realized that Eric would have her head if she disclosed anything without his permission. She pursed her lips as she kept driving.

When I finally woke up I was tucked underneath the covers in an unfamiliar bed. I rubbed my eyes and sat up while taking a good look around the room. It was light tight but there was a lamp turned on in the corner. There was also a note which read:

_“For reasons I can’t explain now you must be kept in an unfamiliar location in order to keep you safe. I have assigned associates to look after you during the day and night. Your clothes and personal belongings have been brought over. I had one of my associates open a bank account for you should you require additional funds. I have left a new, untraceable, cell phone for you on the table in the dining room. My number is on speed dial 1, Pam’s is speed dial 2, and Bill’s is speed dial 3 in case you need to get in touch with Sookie. Please do not let anyone know where you are. It’s imperative you stay off the grid. I will contact you as soon as possible but until then please stay safe, Eric.”_

Wow. I didn’t know how to feel about being left alone with strangers in a new city and a new condo. I got out of bed, put the covers back into place, and then began looking through the drawers for a clean set of clothes. They must have unpacked while I slept. I removed a pair of Capri pants, a t-shirt, underwear and a bra, and then made my way into the ensuite bathroom at the far side of the bedroom. Eric certainly had good taste. The bathroom was huge and gorgeous. I put the clothes on the counter while admiring all of the workmanship. He paid a good penny for the design but he wasn’t known for skimping when he wanted something done to his liking. I opened the large glass door to the marble shower and ran the water. All of my toiletries were unpacked and sitting in place, ready for use. It was a bit unnerving to have been moved and settled into a new place while I was unconscious. It would have given me something to do with my time seeing as though I didn’t have a job to go to. I just brushed it off and closed the shower door behind me as I stepped under the beautiful waterfall. I didn’t take long considering that I had showered before I went to bed when I was at Eric’s place in Shreveport. I wrapped a towel around me and put my hair in another one which I wrapped and set on top of my head. I looked in the mirror. The bite marks on my neck were quite visible and I wasn’t sure if I wanted anyone to know I had been with a vampire. I would have to figure that out later. I dried myself off and got dressed. I let my hair dry naturally as I tidied up and then ventured out into the hall.

I continued my way through the condo. Every room was separated from the other, except for the kitchen, making me feel like I was in a house instead of a high-rise condo. The dining room was off of the grandiose kitchen. There was a table big enough to seat about 12. He either had amazing taste or Pam took a course in interior decorating—everything in the condo reeked style. In the kitchen was a massive stainless steel fridge and when I opened it—it was full of everything I could ever need or want. The freezer had a huge array of different meats and even ice cream. The pantry was full of any kind of side dish I could want plus cereals, canned goods, peanut butter, crackers, popcorn, and chips…holy crap! It was like he wanted to fatten me up or something. The condo had its own dishwasher and, as I continued walking through every room, it even had its own onsite washer and dryer. I was so spoiled.

“Hello?” I called out tentatively.

Within seconds a figure stepped into the hallway. Where the hell was he hiding?

“Good morning, Nikki.” A tall, attractive man with short, dark brown hair, in a suit smiled at me. “I’m Darien. Eric has assigned me to watch over you during the day.”

“Um, hi.” I mumbled. “Is Pam still here?”

“Pam had to return to Shreveport.” He answered.

“Oh.”

“You’re safe, don’t worry.” He assured me. “Would you like some breakfast? I had something brought in.”

Oh so that’s what the tantalizing aroma was.

“Sure.” I smiled slightly and followed him out of the hall, around the corner, and towards the dining room.

The dining room table was already set and he brought in takeout containers from an unfamiliar restaurant.

“I had a feeling you would be waking up soon.” He replied. “So I ordered it ahead of time.”

“Lucky guess.” I replied.

“Yes it was.” He nodded.

I took a seat and helped myself to the breakfast feast. He must have already eaten because he sat there watching me eat. I didn’t say much. I felt weird having my own bodyguard who tended to my needs like a servant. When I finished eating. I brought the plate to the kitchen and he helped put the leftovers in the fridge.

“Is there anything you would like to do today?” He asked, trying to be polite.

“Are you going to escort me everywhere I go?” I asked curiously.

“For your protection, yes.” He nodded.

“I’m going to look like a celebrity or something. Don’t you think that will draw unnecessary attention?”

“That’s a good point.” He replied. “But it’s imperative I keep you in my sight.”

“Fair enough.” I commented. “What is there to do here?”

“This building is equipped with an indoor swimming pool, gym and weight room, plus a sauna and hot tub.”

“Wow, good.” I smiled. “I love swimming.”

“Would you like to go swimming now?”

“Maybe later.” I replied. “What about a tour of the city? You could show me the sights.”

“I am fairly new to the city but there are some landmarks that you might enjoy.”

“Good, let’s start there.” I smiled and retrieved my purse and a pair of flat shoes from Eric’s room.

He gave me a set of keys to the condo along with a bankcard for the account Eric had opened in my name. I put them inside my purse while he locked the door behind us. We walked to the elevator and that’s when I realized we were on the top floor, in the penthouse. Wow. I didn’t say anything but my eyebrows arched when I noticed. Darien smiled when he noticed my reaction but didn’t say anything as we stepped into the elevator. One floor down, the elevator doors opened and a very tall, attractive, raven haired guy in an expensive suit stepped inside. The second I saw his face my heart almost skipped a beat because I suddenly remembered the erotic dream I had the night before. He wasn’t in it but he could have been a dead ringer for the guy who was. They had very similar features and the fact he was standing right in front of me was beyond coincidental. He smiled at me and I smiled while I moved out of the way. He stood on my right while Damien was on my left side. I couldn’t explain it but I felt a strange sensation and one that I was quite unfamiliar with. It was as though the tall, dark and handsome stranger emitted a peaceful, calming vibe. I was too shy to say anything though. I looked over at him occasionally and a couple of times he noticed and smiled but I looked down while my face turned red as memories of the dream replayed in my head. When the elevator finally reached the main floor he nodded with a smile.

“Have a good day.” He stated cheerfully as he walked into the main foyer and then subsequently left the building.

“He’s friendly.” I stated quietly.

“I’ve seen him before.” Darien replied. “A few times with his friends. They seem harmless enough. Eric never had an issue with them.”

I continued to stare after him and noticed that he got into a black Hummer that was waiting at the curb by the entrance of the building. He looked back at me once more, smiled, and nodded right before he drove away. I blushed again.

“How often does Eric come here?” I asked curiously.

“Not often. The last time was over a year ago.”

The Hummer wasn’t even down the road for five seconds when one of the passengers spoke up.

“Who’s that?” A light blonde-haired guy asked with a smirk.

“I don’t know.” The raven-haired guy replied. “I think she’s new to the building.”

“She’s hot.” A sandy brown-haired guy commented.

“I’ll say.” The light blonde-haired guy replied. “Wouldn’t mind tapping that…” The raven-haired guy smacked his arm.

“Was that her boyfriend with her?” A dark blonde-haired guy with shoulder length hair interjected.

“I didn’t get that vibe.” The raven-haired guy replied.

“Dibbs!” The light blonde-haired guy called out.

“Nice try.” The dark blonde-haired guy replied. “But Caleb beat you to it.”

“This isn’t a competition.” Caleb replied. “I don’t want anyone bothering her. If she is new to the building I don’t need you harassing my neighbours.”

“Fine, fine.” The light-haired guy replied with a sigh.

“There’s nothing wrong with asking someone out.” The sandy brown-haired guy replied.

“Tyler’s right, Caleb.” The long-haired guy replied. “It’s been a while since you went out with anyone.”

“It’s been a while since _I_ went out with anyone, Pogue.” The light-haired guy interrupted.

“You went out on a date two weeks ago, Reid.” Tyler rolled his eyes.

“She was bat shit crazy.” Reid replied.

“And how do you know that this chick isn’t any different?” Tyler asked.

“No.” Caleb shook his head. “I didn’t get that vibe either.”

They arched their eyebrows and smiled at his response.

“You like her.” Pogue stated, surprised.

“I don’t even know her.” Caleb replied and rolled his eyes at them.

“Pogue’s right.” Tyler grinned. “The expression on your face says it all.”

“She has a nice aura…” Caleb commented, deep in thought.

“I bet she has more than a nice _aura_ …” Reid replied but Caleb smacked his arm.

“Shut up.” Caleb snapped. “And don’t talk about her like that.”

The guys didn’t say anything else. They smiled amongst themselves and kept their opinions quiet. Caleb, however, didn’t understand why he was so intrigued with me. He felt an odd sensation standing beside me, something he couldn’t explain but which definitely caught his interest.

Meanwhile as Darien showed me the sights around town I couldn’t stop thinking about the eerie connection of the gorgeous raven haired guy and my dream. It hardly felt like a premonition since I was with Eric but it felt so much more than just a dream, so real, and seeing someone so close to the guy in my dream brought it to the forefront.

“You’re quiet.” Darien commented.

“I’m just thinking.” I replied.

“Eric will contact you when he has a chance to.”

“I know.” I mumbled.

We spent around an hour walking around the city. Thankfully the condo wasn’t that far away from downtown and when we had enough site seeing we started the trek back. A few blocks from the condo I noticed a large park across the street which somehow escaped my attention earlier.

“Let’s go there.” I stated and pointed across the street.

“You didn’t want to earlier.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“I mentioned it but you didn’t comment.”

That must have been when I was obsessing about the erotic dream and the raven-haired guy.

“There’s just so much to see, I must have been distracted.” I replied and he nodded once.

We crossed the street and entered the park. It was a pretty good size. There was a fountain in the dead center of it and a lot of forestry around the outskirts. It was much larger than I anticipated but I revelled in its beauty. Darien, however, seemed bored.

“You don’t have to watch me every second of the day.” I replied. “We’re not far from the condo and I have my cell with me.”

“I’m not supposed to leave you unaccompanied.”

“First of all, nobody knows I’m here. Secondly, it’s daylight.” I replied. “Which means nobody would be stupid enough to try and attack me in a very public and well populated park. Besides, any possible threats, like vampires would be in their daytime rest.”

He mulled it over. If Eric found out he left me by myself he would lose his head but Eric wasn’t there and he really didn’t feel like babysitting me if I was going to walk around the park all day. He almost left but then he remembered the last time someone disobeyed Eric and he wasn’t going to pay the same price.

“You can stay and I’ll sit on a bench in the shade.” Darien replied.

“Okay.” I nodded once as I watched him walk to a bench on the far side of the park.

When he was out of earshot I gave a sigh of relief. I hated being followed around all the damn time. I enjoyed having a break and some time to myself to think. I wandered around the park, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the sights all while noticing Darien in the far distance. He kept an eye on me occasionally but would focus most of his attention on his cell. I sent him a text message advising that I was going to use the bathroom facilities located on the far side of the park which was out of his line of sight. He acknowledged the text without anything more than an _“Ok.”_ I sighed and put my cell in my purse. I walked into the ladies’ facilities and stepped into one of the stalls, closing and locking the door behind me.

There was nobody else in there at that moment and I took a deep breath. I concentrated on Eric to see if I could get some kind of picture about what was going on. Nothing came to me. Not a single thing and that was odd. Usually if I focused hard enough on something or someone I would get a picture or a glimpse of something no matter how minimal but not this time. I gave up and decided to just leave it alone until he contacted me. I opened the stall and walked over to the sinks. I put my purse on the counter and washed my hands. I looked in the mirror only for a second but it was enough that I did get a quick glimpse of something but not what I expected. It was the dark-haired guy from my erotic dream, not the guy I ran into earlier, but the actual subject of my dream. We were in a completely different bathroom, a very large modern one and he came up behind me, wrapped his hands around my waist and then kissed my neck. The picture ended as quickly as it began and I looked all around me. I was still alone but confused. Who was that guy? And why was I getting visions of him?

I pulled out my cell and opened the picture gallery. I smiled when I looked through it. Long before being abruptly transferred to Alexandria, I had somehow convinced Eric to let me take a picture of us when I was sitting on his lap. By all accounts it looked like a normal picture of a happy couple. It was on a rare night off from Fangtasia and we were in the living room. We just had dinner and we were relaxing and about to watch a movie. I abruptly sat on his lap and pulled out my cell. He gave me an odd look.

_“What are you doing?” He arched his eyebrows._

_“I’m going to take at least one picture of us together.”_

_“Why?” He asked as though I was nuts.  
“Because I want one. It makes this feel real and normal.”_

_“This is real.” He tried to reassure me._

_“Well I want proof.” I smirked and he laughed._

_“Fine.” He smiled and I held up my cell and took the picture of us._

Eric must have transferred the picture of him and I into the new phone before I left. I was still looking at the picture when I began walking out of the women’s restroom and accidentally bumped into someone just as I turned the corner. My cell dropped out of my hand but he caught it and handed it back to me as he quickly noticed at the picture on the screen. His hand gently grazed mine and he felt an immediate tingle. He noticed but I didn’t.

“I’m so sorry.” I commented. “I should have watched where I was going.”

“It’s okay.” He smiled and looked me over. He had light ash blonde hair, green eyes and a nice smile. “Nice picture.”

“Um… thanks.” I replied quietly and put my cell in my purse.

“You okay?” He asked after studying my reaction.

“Yeah, just a lot on my mind.”

“About the guy in the picture?” _Wow, perceptive._

“It’s a long story.” I replied. “Thanks for catching my phone though. It’s new.”

“No problem.” He responded and then held out his hand. “I’m Ryan.”

“I’m Nikki.” I replied and hesitantly shook his hand.

“Is this your first time in the park?” He asked curiously.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked, embarrassed.

“I noticed you walking around earlier, admiring the fountain.”  
“I love being around water.” I commented. “It’s beautiful here… _tranquil_.”

“It’s my favourite place in the city.” He replied. “I come here every day.”

“I can see why.” I replied. “I know I’ll be coming back.”

“Then maybe I’ll bump into you again.” He smiled as he began to walk away.

“Maybe.” I nodded once.

“Good.” He smiled once more before he turned around and left. That was interesting.

“Who is that?” Darien’s voice broke my train of thought and I turned around to face him.

“Just someone I accidentally bumped into.” I replied. “I dropped my cell phone but he caught it.”

“Is he a threat?” Darien asked while staring after him.

“Seriously?” I looked at him like he had ten heads. “No. He’s nice. He just caught my phone.” I replied calmly.

“Good.” Darien commented. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am now.” I replied and began walking toward the other side of the park that lead back to the condo.

He didn’t say anything on the way back but I kept mulling everything over. The weird dream, the weird vision, and the lookalike guy in the elevator. Was the universe trying to tell me something? What was the connection between the two men and what did it have to do with me?

Ryan watched us walk away with a curious expression. He was intrigued by our accidental interaction. I had a pleasant countenance and aura, something that he hadn’t seen or felt in years and even then, it wasn’t remotely close to what he felt when he brushed my hand accidentally. It gave him a shot of instant peace and contentment, something that he couldn’t remember ever feeling, not really, and it was almost instantly addictive. He hoped to see me again, if only to find out what it was about me that made him feel that way. When he thought about it he smiled slightly but it made the darkness inside of him, the part of him that he struggled with that lived deep down in the core of his being, feel odd. It was simultaneously attracted to my presence but felt uncomfortable and awkward. That didn’t happen around regular humans. It only happened around extraordinary beings and even then not to that extent. The darkness within him was curious, intrigued, and it wanted to know more about me and it perceived Ryan felt the same way.

A week passed and I hadn’t heard any news. There was no communication from Eric or Pam. Thankfully, I did hear from Sookie but she was just as much in the dark as I was. She made sure that nobody knew about my sudden move to Alexandria although she was certain that Bill was aware of the details. He remained curiously quiet on the subject and he wouldn’t give her any particulars. The only thing he did was make an ominous comment about how for my own safety I had to be moved to a discreet location that was unfamiliar to me and it had to remain confidential. As much as Tara, Lafayette, and Sam cared about me—they had to be kept in the dark about it in the off chance that it would get back to someone who might be sent to spy on them for intel about me. She reluctantly agreed to keep it to herself, even from Jason, but she didn’t like being left in the dark about things that had to do with me. I was her family, her kin, and she had a right to know what was going on but Bill wouldn’t tell her anything, no matter what she did, and it frustrated the hell out of her.

Meanwhile, I was going stir crazy being cooped up in the condo all day without hearing anything from Eric. I would usually start my day using the pool and the gym to keep myself in shape and to release any stress. I made sure to do this early in the morning so that I wouldn’t bump into a lot of people. Interestingly enough though, the raven-haired guy from the elevator seemed to have the same idea. On the first day, I was already doing laps when he walked into the pool area, ready to swim. He arched his eyebrows when he saw me and I stopped, momentarily and looked up when I noticed him.

“Um… hi.” I mumbled. “I can stick to the one side of the pool to stay out of your way.”

“Thanks.” He smiled and put a towel on one of the chairs sitting against the wall.

I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I moved to one side of the pool and continued swimming while he dove into the water only seconds later. After thirty minutes, I got out of the pool and grabbed the towel. He continued to swim and I left the pool area to shower and get changed.

It continued like that for a few weeks. I had to do something to pass the time when I didn’t hear from Eric so I kept the same routine and had the same interaction with the raven-haired stranger. We would smile politely at one another and sometimes mumble a greeting but that was it. We minded our own business and swam without bothering each other. It appeared as though he wanted to say something but he seemed hesitant, almost like he didn’t want to offend me.

Finally, at the end of the third week I got out of the pool, I dried off and sat on one of the chairs that were against the wall. I waited until he was finished and when he got out of the pool he smiled at me when he noticed I was still there. Unsure of what came over me I walked over to him and extended my hand.

“If we’re going to swim together every day, you should at least know my name.” I grinned.

“I’m Caleb.” He smiled and shook my hand. He noticed my neck and his eyes narrowed slightly and he shook my hand.

“I’m Nikki.” I replied. “And I don’t bite.” He laughed. “You _can_ say more than two words to me.”

“I didn’t want to intrude on your personal time.” He replied respectfully. That was considerate.

“You’re not intruding but I appreciate the consideration.”

“You’re relatively new to the building, aren’t you?” He asked curiously.

“Yes.” I replied.

“I’m surprised your bodyguard isn’t here.” He stated quietly. _Good guess._

“I convinced him that I would be fine but periodically he checks in on me.”

“He seems very protective of you but doesn’t invade your personal space. It didn’t take much to figure out he wasn’t your partner.” He pointed to my neck. “Is that why you need protection?”

“Oh… this? Um… no.” I put my hand on the bite marks and bit my lower lip. “Um… my boyfriend is a vampire.”

“Oh.” His eyes bulged slightly. “Does he bite you all the time?” _Not lately._

“No. He doesn’t require much blood.” I replied quietly.

“So he bites you for fun?” There was an edge in his voice that revealed he wasn’t impressed.

“Um… I’m not really sure how to explain it.” I replied uncomfortably.

“Does he glamour you into letting him do it?” _Oh boy._

“No. I can’t be glamoured.” I replied.

“What?” That surprised him. “Why not?” _Crap._

“I’m not sure.” I replied. “It just doesn’t work on me.”

“Interesting.” He commented.

“I think so too.” I replied.

“So you let him do that _voluntarily_?” He pressed the issue and I didn’t want to tell him why but I couldn’t lie.

“Yes it’s voluntary. It… um… uh… well there’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just say it outright… it enhances intimacy.”

“Oh.” His eyes bulged slightly. “I wasn’t sure if those rumours were true or just something they made up to entice women.”

“They’re definitely true.”

“Okay then.” He replied uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“No harm done. You were just trying to make sure I wasn’t being coerced into something against my will, right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Where is your boyfriend?” Caleb asked curiously. “The entire time you’ve been here I’ve never seen you with anyone other than your bodyguard.”

“My boyfriend works in another city.” I replied cautiously.

“That must be hard.” He commented. “Long distance relationships can be taxing.” _You have no idea._

“The long-distance thing is relatively new.” I replied. “And it’s only temporary until he ties up some loose ends.”

“Loose ends that require you to be protected by a bodyguard?” _Damn he was perceptive_.

“You could say that.” I mumbled.

“You’re afraid to disclose too much.” He whispered.

“I’m not allowed to talk about it.”  
“Not allowed?” He frowned.

“For my own protection, I’m supposed to stay off the grid and keep everything under wraps.”

“Oh. I see.” He replied. “I won’t hassle you about it any further.”

“You’re not hassling me at all.” I replied. “You’ve asked several valid questions it’s just that I’m not at liberty to answer them with anything but vague responses.”

“Are you _allowed_ to have friends?” He asked sarcastically.

“Yes, I am and besides Darien doesn’t have any qualms about me interacting with you.”

“Really?” Caleb replied with an arched eyebrow.

“Apparently he’s observed you in previous interactions with your friends and has determined that you’re not a threat.”

“That’s a very astute observation considering he hasn’t spent any real time with us.”

“Is he wrong?” I asked with a slight smile.  
“No.” He grinned slightly.

“Then maybe, like me, he has a pretty good radar when it comes to detecting threats.”

“And yet your radar ignores that your boyfriend is a _vampire_.” _Whoa. Ouch_. That was definitely a sore subject for him.

“They’re not all the same.” I replied. “Though I understand your apprehension toward them.”

“From what I’ve seen they’re monsters and they don’t give a damn about humans.”

“The ones I’ve been exposed to aren’t like that. I’ve heard that some of them are complete asshats but he isn’t.”

“I hope you never have to be exposed to their real side.” He replied and turned toward the exit.

“I’ve seen their real side.” I replied and he turned around to face me.

“No you haven’t.” He muttered. “From what I’ve experienced, vampires use and abuse people. Once they get what they want, they move on with little regard for the humans in their path.” He replied and my eyes bulged. “I sincerely hope you never see _that_ side of them.”

He walked away and left the pool area before I could respond. I was in shock. Up until that point I never considered that all vampires had sinister agendas but he was very sincere and I could almost detect the pain when he discussed his hatred for them. It reminded me of when Tonya left town seething with rage about vampires. Her anger was almost tangible and it felt oddly similar when Caleb talked about them. He must have lost someone he loved or he wouldn’t have so much animosity and distrust toward them.

I didn’t have much time to think about it. Darien walked into the pool area and put his hands on his hips, looking very displeased.

“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously.

“You’ve been gone too long.” He commented and I looked up at the clock on the wall.

“Oh. Sorry. I lost track of time.”

“What’s wrong?” He asked curiously.

“Nothing, why?”

“You look upset about something.”

“I just have a lot on my mind.” I picked up my towel. “I’ll be out in five minutes.” I walked to the change room.

When I finished changing I followed Darien back up to the condo. I thought about Caleb the entire time. Other than the last five minutes of our conversation we got along very well. I wondered if my being with a vampire offended him and triggered some painful memories. I sighed a few times and Darien arched an eyebrow but said nothing. I was happy to make a new friend but I was frustrated with myself because in a matter of minutes I alienated him. Ugh. I hated being alone in an unfamiliar city. I missed my friends and family in Bon Temps. I wanted to see Sookie but it wasn’t permitted and that pissed us both off. We weren’t being told the truth about the situation but we couldn’t stay in touch like we used to. I had to limit my interactions to text most of the time because they were concerned that Sookie was being watched. She never heard anything in the thoughts of people around her to indicate this but Eric wasn’t taking any chances.

Meanwhile, I still hadn’t heard from him or seen him, which pissed me off. He was going to great lengths to protect me but he wouldn’t call or visit, he didn’t even send me a text message.

“You’re upset.” Darien replied out of the blue.

“I’m frustrated.” I commented. “I’m tired of being under lock and key but not being told the reason why.”

“Eric will communicate with you when he has a chance.” Darien replied and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, whatever.” I picked up my purse and made sure my cell was inside. I walked over toward the door.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going for a walk.”  
“No.” He tried to get in my way.

“You aren’t my boss.” I frowned. “I wasn’t asking for your permission.”

“I have to follow orders.” He blocked the door.

“I don’t have to follow anyone’s orders!” I exclaimed. “And how do you know if those orders are still in effect? It’s not like we’ve heard from Eric in weeks.” He looked uncomfortable. “Get out of my way before I call 911 and tell them I’m being held captive.”

“Eric won’t like this.”

“I don’t care.” I commented. “And if he really cared I’m sure I would have seen or heard from him by now.”

He moved out of the way and I stormed out of the condo and down the hall. I pressed the button for the elevator and when the doors opened I walked inside. Just before the doors closed I could see Darien’s face at the last second but it was too late for him to get inside. I sighed again. The elevator doors opened at Caleb’s floor and I took a deep breath when he stepped inside. He forced a smile and I did the same. You could cut the tension with a knife. I sighed and then looked up at him.

“Look, I’m sorry if I offended you in any way.” I stated quietly. “I didn’t mean to trigger bad memories or anything.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” He replied. “I was a rude ass.”

“You’re not an ass.” I slightly smiled. “Maybe you’re right. I might be too trusting and maybe I need a wakeup call.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You haven’t. I’m just frustrated.”

“About what?” He asked curiously.

“About being cooped up in here all the time and having to go everywhere with a bodyguard.”

“He’s not with you now.” He motioned around him.

“Because I told him that if he didn’t let me have some space I would call 911 and tell them I’m being held captive.”

“Nice.” He chuckled. “But if he’s been assigned to protect you I’m sure it’s for a good reason.”

“I’m sure it is but nobody has told me what that reason is and I’m tired of being left in the dark. I’m in a strange city where I don’t know anyone and I seriously doubt that I’m a target _here_.”

“Why would you be a target?” He asked curiously.

“Long story and I don’t feel like getting into it.”

“Fair enough.” He replied. “But for the record you do know at least one person.”

“True but you didn’t say more than a few words to me until today… so I’m not sure if that counts…” I said. He laughed.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“For a walk.” I replied.

“Where to?”

“Don’t care, anywhere.” I replied. “But I’m inclined to say to the park.”

“Would you like some company?” He asked. _Hmmm... that was a new development._

“You look like you’re going to work or something.” I commented as I looked at his expensive suit.

“I can call the office and tell them I’m going to be late.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I don’t like the idea of you going for a walk unaccompanied if you’re a target whether you’re in a different city or not.”

“Why? You don’t owe me anything, we don’t really know each other.”

“I also have a good radar and think it’s time you had a real friend if you’re stuck here alone.” _Wow._ That was sweet.

He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and told his receptionist that he was going to be delayed for at least an hour or so, then he disconnected the call and put the cell back into his pocket. We walked slowly toward the park and I looked up at him curiously.

“How long have you lived here?”

“A year or so.” He replied. “I relocated here from Ipswich.” _Ipswich. That’s an interesting place to live, with an ominous history._

“That’s quite the relocation.” I replied.

“My family still lives there but I needed… a fresh start.”

“You have some new friends here… or so I noticed the other day… do they help?”

“Actually they’re from my hometown in Ipswich.” He replied warily, almost like he was trying not to disclose too much.

“Oh.” I didn’t expect that.

“They relocated with me. We grew up together; we’re like brothers.”

“Ipswich has quite a rich history.” I commented.

“I know.” He replied without elaborating.

“It’s not that far from Salem…” I added to see what he would say.

“That history is independent from our family.” He replied when he knew I wouldn’t drop it.

“I can tell by your expression that the Salem Witch Trials weren’t something your family took part in.”

“No.” He sighed. “I simply don’t understand how so many people allow fear of what’s different to drive them to bigotry and hatred.”

“I absolutely agree.” I smiled. “I’m sorry if I’m being intrusive.”

“You’re curious, it’s to be expected. I say Ipswich and I get all kinds of curious looks. It’s like people expect me to wear a dark cape and sleep in a crypt or something.”

“I didn’t think that Ipswich was synonymous with Dracula…?” I teased.

“No but it’s comparatively ominous.” He replied.

“I don’t think it is.” I replied. “I just think there is more to the surface that meets the eye.”

“You’re extremely perceptive.”

“I get that a lot.” I grinned. “So… your friends… they’re looking out for you aren’t they?” I asked curiously.

“Yes.” He smiled. “Good guess.”

“I have my moments.” I mumbled.

“Where are you from?” He asked.

“Bon Temps.” I replied.

“That’s a bit of a jaunt.” He replied. “And it’s hard for me to picture someone like you living there.”

“We’re not all rednecks you know.” I smirked and he laughed.  
“And your boyfriend? Where is he from?”

“He’s from Shreveport. We were living together before I was abruptly moved here.”

“And he won’t tell you why?” Caleb’s eyes narrowed for a moment.

“No.” I shook my head. “I know he’s just trying to protect me and he probably thinks the less I know the safer I am but I need to know the truth.”

“Be careful what you ask for.” Caleb replied. “There’s probably a very good reason why he’s not telling you.”

“Good or bad I need to know.” I replied. “Besides I can feel something is wrong.”

“I don’t want you to get caught up in the vampire hierarchy.” He stated out of the blue. “It can be very detrimental to humans.”

“Don’t I know it.” I said as we walked into the park and sat on a bench. “I ended up getting sucked into it by accident.”

“How?” He stared at me expectantly.

“Um… well… okay I’ll tell you but don’t get all judgemental.” I quipped with a grin.

“I’ll try not to.”

“My cousin is dating a vampire and another vampire who is his superior was interested in her and demanded to see her. If you know anything about vampire hierarchy, he couldn’t refuse.”

“I hate vampire politics.” He rolled his eyes.

“Me too. Anyway, she was nervous about seeing him so I tagged along to look out for her.”

“You’re editing.” He replied. “Vampires don’t just express an interest in humans unless they have something to offer them.”

“She has a special gift.” I whispered even though there wasn’t anyone near us.

“What kind of gift?” He asked curiously.

“Doesn’t matter, he heard about it, and wanted to see her. I ended up inadvertently drawing his attention away from her.”

“How so?” He studied my every move.

“Um…” I didn’t want to answer the question and then put my own ass on the line. He put a hand on my arm.

“You can trust me. I would never let anything happen to you.” He was sincere. I could see it and feel it. That was weird.

“But you don’t know me or owe me a single thing.”

“We’re not exactly strangers.” He replied. “And that radar I have says to look after you.” Wow.

“Okay, well… let’s just say I have a gift of my own and apparently it rates higher than hers.”

“That’s why you’re a target.” He replied.

“Yeah.” His hand was still on my arm and it was oddly comforting. “That and it gives my blood a more appealing scent.”

“Great.” He frowned.

“Another reason for the bodyguard.” I added.

“Does it have anything to do with why you said you had a good radar?”

“Kind of.” I nodded once. His hand had moved from my arm to my back which was interesting.

I was going to say something but I noticed Darien at the far side of the park, watching us. I sighed and Caleb followed my line of sight.

“At least he knows you’re safe.” He commented.

“Yup.” I rolled my eyes.

“Look, I know we don’t know each other very well but if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.”

He discreetly pulled out a business card and put it into my hand.

“Thanks.” I smiled and he looked at his watch. “You have to go.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Thanks for listening.” I smiled and he patted my back.

“Anytime.” He commented. “I’ll probably see you tomorrow morning in the pool.”

“Sure thing.” I replied happily.

He nodded and smiled before he walked away. I looked at his business card and smiled to myself. At least we resolved things… although Eric wouldn’t be happy that I told Caleb personal details about myself, especially that Sookie and I were gifted. I didn’t feel worried. It was odd just how comfortable I felt around Caleb. I knew I could trust him, even if I couldn’t get a picture of him, I felt a good vibe near him. I looked at the opposite side of the park again and Darien was still standing there watching over me and texting. I frowned.

“Hey stranger.” Ryan, whom I bumped into a few weeks prior, sat down beside me.

“Oh hi.” I smiled and put Caleb’s business card into my purse.

“I haven’t seen you in a while.” He commented.

“I haven’t had the chance to get out lately.” I lied and stared at Darien with a frown. He followed my line of sight.

“Who’s that?” He asked curiously. “He keeps looking over here and texting. Kind of creepy if you ask me.”

“He’s my bodyguard.” I replied, annoyed.

“You have a bodyguard?” His eyes bulged a bit. “Why?”

“I have a paranoid boyfriend.” I rolled my eyes.

“The guy on your phone?” He asked.

“Yes, that’s him.” I nodded once.

“Did I just see a guy with dark hair sitting here with you?” Boy he was observant.

“Probably. We’re friends.” I replied. “We live in the same building.”

“Is that why your bodyguard was texting and kept looking over?”

“No, I told my bodyguard to give me some space or I’d call 911.” I replied and Ryan laughed.

“Good one.” He smiled. “So are you a celebrity or something?”

“No.” I chuckled. “Thank God. I just have a crazy ex.”

“An ex that likes to feed off you?” He asked as he noticed my neck.

“Ugh, damn it.” I replied and pulled my hair around to hide the bite marks. “No. My boyfriend is a vampire.”

“What?” He was shocked.

“It’s a long story and yeah I know how unorthodox it is for a vampire to have a human girlfriend—don’t get me started.”

“You must be a great catch to reel in a vampire and make him so paranoid that he has a bodyguard follow you everywhere.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is possessive. Vampires don’t like to share what they think belongs to them.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” He smirked.

“You’ve interacted with vampires before?”

“Not recently.” He replied. “And hopefully not ever again. They’re nuts.”

“Tell me about it.”

“You _are_ dating one…” He replied. “So just how nuts are you?” He teased.

“Touché.” I grinned. “But Eric isn’t so much of an egotistical ass anymore.”

“Ha! Wow. You managed to tame a vampire? That takes some talent.”

“I didn’t tame anyone _per se_ …” I replied but Darien walked over before Ryan could respond. He was very unhappy.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Darien demanded.

“Whoa! Chill. I come in peace.” Ryan replied and raised his hands in surrender.

“Darien, back off! Ryan’s just talking.”

“You’re talking to too many people.” Darien muttered and Ryan frowned.

“Caleb and Ryan are two people. Relax.” I replied, annoyed. “I am allowed to have friends.”

“Eric wouldn’t be happy that you’re befriending a bunch of men.”

“Excuse me?” I stood up while Ryan scowled at him.

“Since when is it illegal for her to have any friends? Male or female?” Ryan interjected while he stood up beside me.

“I don’t know you or your motives for befriending her.” Darien retorted.

“I don’t have any motives but if you want to know who I am—here!” Ryan pulled out his driver’s license and held it out.

I noticed his last name, Goodwin, on the license.

“You’re being ridiculous.” I commented to Darien who studied Ryan’s information on the license and then looked at me.

“Your situation is precarious and you shouldn’t be exposing yourself to strangers.”

“How precarious?” Ryan asked curiously.  
“Wait a second—since when is my situation _precarious_?” I crossed my arms.

Ryan just uncovered something that was being hidden from me and he was extremely curious. Questions kept coming up in his spirit that he was desperate to find out. Why would some random vampire’s girlfriend require a bodyguard to keep watch over her? For that matter what was it about me that was so extremely appealing that made a vampire not only have a commitment to a human girlfriend but go to great lengths to protect me? There was so much more to this than anyone was disclosing, even to me, and that made him extremely inquisitive. The darkness inside almost hungered for the answers as being in close proximity to me again felt too soothing and calming to ignore. My aura gave off the feel of something extraordinary and it most likely had a direct connection to the precarious situation that Darien admitted I was in. Ryan studied us to see what would happen. Darien stiffened. He revealed too much and he knew it. He shook his head and looked at Ryan’s suspicious expression.

“Maybe he’s right.” Ryan stated. “You should probably avoid getting to know too many people if you’re in danger.”

“I didn’t realize I _was_ in danger.” I frowned. “Nobody tells me anything.”

“You should be careful nonetheless.” Ryan pulled out a business card and handed it to me. “I should go but if you ever need help, call me.” I took it and he nodded once before walking away.

I looked at Darien with a furious expression.

“You have a lot of explaining to do.” I demanded, angrily.

“I’ll leave that for Eric.”

“And how long until that happens?” I snapped and walked off in a huff.

I was beyond frustrated. I felt like a privileged caged animal. I was generously provided for but I wasn't allowed the freedom to live like a normal person or have friends like a normal person. If they were trying to protect me then not allowing me to have a normal life like everyone else actually made me stand out amongst others. I was expected to abide by a bunch of rules that I never agreed to and were being forced upon me by someone who was not only absent from my life but additionally kept important details from me. Eric had managed to complicate the situation by his prolonged absence and not allowing me the freedom to get a reprieve from the loneliness I felt in his absence. It was made infinitely worse by the fact I had not one but two different people who were curious to know just why a vampire would go to such great lengths to protect a human, let alone a human girlfriend. It put me in a position that I would have to explain myself to both of them, albeit, in very different ways.

Darien didn't follow after me which was a good thing because after he humiliated me in front of Ryan, I wanted to pummel him. I turned a corner just a block away from the condo when suddenly I felt someone grab my arm and pull me into an alley. I shook my arm loose, bared my fists, and took a swing when I noticed Ryan duck out of the way and then looked at me with an amused expression.

"I'm relieved to know that you were prepared to defend yourself." He smiled.

"I'm from a small town full of red necks, I know how to handle myself." I replied and lowered my fists.

"You can elaborate on that later, follow me before your bodyguard finds us." He motioned to a doorway in the alley and I arched an eyebrow. "Hurry up." He stated as he walked toward the door.

Curiosity got the best of me and I shrugged my shoulders and then followed him. He opened the door, which was unlocked, and he grabbed my hand and led me through a barely lit hallway. We followed it for a couple of minutes, turned a corner and kept walking until we reached a door and he opened it. He released my hand once we were inside. It was a dry-cleaning business and the workers eyed us curiously as he smiled and nodded once while leading me toward the front of the building. Shockingly nobody questioned why we entered through their back door. He looked out of the windows and smiled.

"The coast is clear." He commented.

"Where are we?" I asked curiously.

"Probably about five blocks away from the alley."

I looked outside and realized that he had covertly lead me through the back of a large building comprised of several businesses on the ground floor and offices in the upper floors. There was no way that Darien would be able to find me and that felt curiously satisfying. I needed a break from being spied on.

"We should be okay now." He replied and motioned for me to follow him outside.

"Where the hell are we going?" I asked curiously.

"Somewhere we can talk without being interrupted."

He led me down the street and around the block to a local diner. He opened the door and I walked inside. There were a few people inside and he led me to a vacant booth at the back of the diner, away from everyone else. I took a seat and he sat across from me. A waitress approached us and smiled while she took a good look at him. Well he was attractive. I couldn't deny that, but I wasn't exactly chopped liver and she didn't even give me the courtesy of a second glance, which was amusing.

"What can I get for you?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him for one second.

"I'll have a cup of coffee, black, and she'll have...?" He looked at me.

"Water." I replied.

“That’s it?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Yes.” I smiled.

"Sure thing." She replied with a grin, still staring at him. "Anything to eat?"

"Not now." He smiled.

"Let me know if you change your mind." She almost gushed and then walked away.

It was interesting to watch and I stared at him with a huge grin.

"What?" He asked when he noticed my expression.

"You've got an admirer." I teased and covertly pointed to her.

"I didn't notice." He replied.

"Yeah right." I rolled my eyes. “Guys _always_ notice other women.”

“First off, I’m not every guy and secondly you have to be pretty special to catch my eye. For example, _you_ have my undivided attention."

"Um... okay...." I blushed slightly and he smirked.

Thankfully interrupting us, the waitress returned with his coffee and my water. She set it on the table, staring at him again but he continued to stare at me intently, making sure she noticed.

"Thanks." He stated to her while keeping his eyes on me.

"You're very welcome." She smiled and then, when he didn’t look back at her, walked away embarrassed.

"See." He teased and took a sip of coffee.

"Whatever." I laughed and took a sip of water, my cheeks still slightly red.

“Why are you embarrassed?” He asked. “Aren’t you used to getting compliments?”

“Um… well it’s not that. It’s just…” I stammered and he chuckled. “Why are you laughing?”

“It’s fun to bug you.” He replied with a smirk. “But I’ll change the subject… tell me more about you being able to defend yourself against a bunch of rednecks."

"What's to tell? I grew up in a small town full of pigheaded rednecks and I was a waitress. Most of the time I had to hold my own against a bunch of drunken dickheads who felt like they didn't have to ask permission for anything."

"I'm to assume they crossed some boundaries?" His smile disappeared.

"Not near my cousin Jason, who beat the crap out of one of them who tried but one night when he wasn't around a few of them thought they'd try something stupid."

"And?" He asked curiously.

"And... I got a shot of adrenaline from watching too many Bruce Lee movies, I guess, and I ended up kicking their asses to the point they were on the ground with various injuries."

"Holy shit." He grinned. “What kind of injuries?”

“I gave one an uppercut that knocked him out, I broke his wrist of another, and I sprained the last one’s ankle.”

"I'm pretty impressed." He replied. “It’s unusual for a woman your size to kick the crap out of three men simultaneously.”

"I don't know what came over me but I guess when you're literally backed into a corner you come out fighting."

"I guess so." He smiled.

"Nobody tried anything ever since."

"Can't say I blame them." He grinned. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“I doubt you’ll have anything to worry about as long as you’re not a predatory asshole.”

“You’re quite the little firecracker.” He was very intrigued. “I can see why the vampire is interested in you. You’re not like most women.”

“Nope.” I agreed. “I’m very independent and stubborn, or so I’m told.”

“Let me guess, this doesn’t go over easily with your vampire.” He asked curiously.

“No but we’ve made compromises to make things work.”

“Has he really compromised to meet you halfway? Or has he only made it seem that way?” Oh. Good point.

“We’ve both compromised.”  
“Okay… enlighten me on how your vampire changed to make your relationship work?”

“Well for starters I don’t share. I won’t be with someone who can’t keep his dick in his pants.” I replied firmly.

“That doesn’t surprise me…” He chuckled. “What else?”

“He doesn’t drink from other women.” I added.

“But he drinks from other men?”

“Oh. I’ve never clarified that detail but that wouldn’t bother me.”

“Why?” He asked. “It’s common for most vampires to be bisexual. You specified not drinking or screwing other women but not men.” _Ugh. Ouch._ He was right. _Damn it._

“I don’t think Eric is bisexual. I’ve only ever seen him with women.”

“But you don’t know this _for sure_ …?”

“Are you trying to make me paranoid?”

“No but it would do you some good to ask the hard questions since you insist that you’ve both compromised equally. My experience with vampires is that most of them have ulterior motives.”

“I’ll be sure to ask him this when I see him next.” I frowned.

“Any other compromises that need to be clarified?”

“No, change the subject.” I mumbled.

"Okay then, what’s going on with you that you need incessant protection?"

"Wow. You don’t believe in holding back."

"I call it like I see it."

"I think it might have something to do with my ex."

"Your boyfriend can take care of your ex without any problem and so can you, apparently."

"It's more complicated than that."

"How so?"

"I shouldn't get you involved. You don't need a target on your back." My response further intrigued him.

"I don't scare easily."

"The less you know the better off you are."

"Let me guess... your boyfriend gets jealous."

"That's not the half of it but yes... he's a vampire... what do you think? He's possessive and Darien's right, he certainly wouldn't like the idea of me hanging out with guys."

"I can't see how that would be a problem. Whilst you may be unsure of his loyalty, I’m absolutely certain he wouldn’t have to worry about yours."

“I never said I questioned his loyalty.” I replied a bit annoyed.

“But you’re unsure of it.”

“No, that’s not what I said. You are twisting my words. Just because I didn’t verify the extent of our compromise doesn’t mean he’s been disloyal.”

“Fine, fine… I apologize.” He replied with a sigh. “My point is that you are extremely trustworthy and he shouldn’t be worried about you interacting with other men, regardless who they are.”

"If you know vampires as well as I think you do then you know they don't like to share."

"And how would he be _sharing_ you with me...?" He smirked.

"That's not what I meant…" I stammered. “I mean he doesn’t like sharing my time with anyone else.”

“It’s not his time if he’s not around, say during the day when he’s sleeping.”

“He still wouldn’t like it.” I replied uneasily and this seemed to bother him greatly.

"You need to re-evaluate your relationship with this vampire. If you can't have normal friendships with other people, male or female, then something is wrong with _him_ , not you." He had a valid point but I didn't want to admit it.

Ryan didn’t know what came over him. It wasn’t like him to suddenly feel concern for anyone, let alone a beautiful stranger he just met. Normally he would just turn on the charm and try to seduce someone he was attracted to but with me it was different. He liked being around me. My presence was oddly comforting and soothing but he wasn’t sure why. He knew I had an unusual aura, something that wasn’t found in every human, especially if he was sensing it but he also knew I wasn’t a threat. I wasn’t a witch or a sorceress. He could detect that from our first encounter. The darkness within him studied my every move; my appearance, my aura, my gestures—everything. It was oddly drawn to me but it still couldn’t figure out why. The sensation was familiar but it couldn’t place the source. It felt very rare, ancient, almost angelic because of the light it felt exude from me but it was obvious I wasn’t an angel. Angels didn’t live within or amongst humans but it begged the question… what was I? I was more than simply human. It sensed a formidable gift emanating from me but it couldn’t distinguish what it was or the source of it. The darkness knew it had to come from my lineage. That was the key. He very subtly prompted Ryan to ponder this.

“You don’t like being wrong.” Ryan added quickly.

“Does anyone?” I smirked.

“Good point.” He replied. “But you should consider what I’ve said. It’s normal to have friendships with people and it’s quite unreasonable for your boyfriend to expect that you remain a hermit, whether he’s trying to protect you or not.”

“Alright, alright… I get it.” I sighed. “You can stop now.”

“Sorry.” Ryan replied.

“Don’t be sorry. You just keep driving a point home that I don’t want to hear.”

“Why?” He asked curiously.

“Because deep inside I know I’m going to have to face something I don’t want to.”

“Which is…?”

“There are questions I don’t want to know the answers to.”

“That’s vague.” He replied.

“But true.” I answered.

“Fine, you keep your secrets.” He smiled. “At least you’re able to hang out with a friend without someone watching over your every move.”

“A friend?” I asked curiously.

“Acquaintance? Attractive stranger?” He joked and I chuckled. He was attractive though. Those eyes. Man, they got me.

“Why would you want to be friend’s with someone who has a strange entourage?”   
“Because our friendship wouldn’t be boring.” He quipped and put me at ease.

“True…” I admitted. “But fair warning… with that entourage comes the potential for unnecessary and unwarranted drama.”

“Are you trying to scare me off?” He smirked.

“Maybe… for your own good.” I replied with a bit of a grin.

“Consider me warned but I don’t scare that easily.”

“Good.” I liked him. He was refreshingly honest—and honesty was a rare trait in my world.

Ryan wondered why I kept trying to push him away, as though I was somehow concerned about his wellbeing even though we barely knew each other. It was as if I expected trouble to follow me and inadvertently affect everyone I interacted with.

Meanwhile Darien was scrambling around the condo trying to figure out where I could have gone. He had already circled the nearby blocks a few times. He looked at his watch. It was early afternoon and Eric would be in his daytime rest and probably alone. He winced at the thought of contacting him but he had no choice. Only Eric would be able to detect where I was through the blood tie. He clenched his jaw while he dialed Eric's number. After it rang twice Eric answered.

"This better be good." Eric stated abruptly.

"Are you alone?" Darien whispered.

"Yes now spit it out." Eric demanded.

"We have a situation." Darien commented carefully.

"What's wrong?" Eric frowned and sat up.

"Nikki ditched me when she went for a walk."

"Excuse me?" Eric's frown became more pronounced. "Why would she try to ditch you in the first place?"

"She's been on edge lately and is frustrated with not having much freedom."

"It's for her protection." Eric replied unapologetically.

"She knows that but since you haven't contacted her she is feeling lonely and agitated. She made a couple of friends."

"What friends?" Eric asked suspiciously.

"One is from our building; we've seen him before. I don't think he is a threat. I don't know anything about the other guy."

"She's making friends with random men?" Eric felt a twinge of jealousy and he didn’t like it, not one bit.

"From what I could see it's strictly platonic." Darien added quickly. “And she is fiercely loyal. I couldn’t see her being unfaithful.”

"Is she with one of them now?" Eric asked, ignoring his comment.

"I don't know." Darien replied. Eric clenched his fist and moved to the edge of his bed.

"You must find her right now. We don't know who we can trust and if she inadvertently made friends with one of Sophie-Anne's scouts we're done for."

"I don't get that vibe from either of them."

"I don't care. She's _mine_ and I don't want her fraternizing with other men." Eric replied curtly.

"Can you sense where she is?" Darien asked warily.

"Give me a minute." Eric replied abruptly and then he closed his eyes.

He focused on me for a moment and concentrated very hard. Within seconds he got a glimpse of a diner and me seated inside.

"She's at Diane's Diner a couple of blocks from the main park downtown."

"I know where it is." Darien answered.

"Go and get her right now." Eric demanded angrily.

"She's going to be furious." Darien replied.

"I. Don't. Care." Eric snapped.

"You should call her later." Darien added.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"I'm sorry." Darien swallowed hard.

"Lose her again and you'll lose your head." Eric snapped.

"Got it." Darien replied.

Eric ended the call and sighed. He knew what he had to do. He called Pam. She answered on the first ring.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go to Alexandria tonight."

"Do you think that's wise?" She asked worriedly.

"I don't have a choice. I need to take care of something."

"What did she do now?" Pam frowned.

"Lose the tone." Eric snapped.

"Fine, what happened?"

"Doesn't matter." Eric replied. "I have to take care of business. I'll try not to be long."

"What should I tell them if they show up at Fangtasia?"

"Anything that works."

"I can tell them you went to see Godric."

"No. If you tell them that then they might follow up."

"Then call Godric and tell him the truth, I’m sure he'd cover for you."

"I don't want to drag him into this."

"He's your maker, he cares about you and everything that concerns you."

"I'll consider it." Eric replied.

"You should get some rest." Pam replied. "You'll need your strength."

"Duly noted." Eric answered and disconnected the call.

Pam sighed and put her cell back on the nightstand.

"I hope she doesn't get us all killed." She commented and then went back to sleep.

Meanwhile even though we joked around a little bit I was still stinging from the honesty of Ryan’s comments. He was right and I couldn’t deny it, not anymore. I never thought of myself as being a pushover but during our conversation he managed to ask questions which showed very obvious holes in what I thought was a healthy relationship with Eric. There were too many unanswered questions, especially concerning my relocation that had me thinking.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Ryan stated after I hadn’t answered for five minutes.

"Eric does have some good points." I replied, finally. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure he does." Ryan replied. "One of which involves climactic blood exchanges." _Holy crap_.

"Um...." I turned beet red.

"You embarrass so easily."

"Is that your intention? To embarrass me?" I crossed my arms.

"No, I'm just trying to get to know you and what makes you tick. You have no reason to be embarrassed. I'm just being honest."

"Brutally honest."

"It's been said." He smirked. “But I’m not trying to hurt or offend you.”

“What are you trying to do?”

“Make you reconsider that all is not what is appears?”

“And what if it isn’t? No offense but what’s it to you? You don’t really know me so what advantage would you get by showing me that the relationship is a farce?”

“I didn’t say it was a farce…” He backtracked.

“Your insinuations make me feel otherwise.”

“I’m sorry.” He replied, feeling a bit guilty which was odd considering that he didn’t realize he cared so much.

“Well?” I asked, annoyed. “That’s it? You’re not going to answer my question?”

“You’re right.” He sighed. “I don’t know you. You’re intriguing and since I’m fairly new to the city and haven’t made a lot of friends I thought you’d be a good candidate.”

“Why? I’m tempestuous and stubborn.” I replied.

“There is more to you than that and any intelligent person can see it clear as day.” Wow.

Before I had the chance to say anything else Darien came storming into the diner.

"Oh shit." I commented.

"What?" Ryan followed my line of sight.

He was about to stand up but I put a hand on his arm and shook my head.

"It's okay." I whispered.

"No it isn't." He replied.

"It's fine." I stood up just as Darien got to our table.

"Time to go." Darien stated abruptly and pointed to the exit.

This caused the other people in the restaurant to look over at us, curiously.

"She doesn't have to go anywhere if she doesn't want to." Ryan stood up and glared at him.

"Ryan, it's okay... I should go." I replied quietly. Ryan clenched his jaw. "I'll call you later."

"If you don't, I'll come looking for you." He replied. "Just to make sure you're okay."

"She's in good hands." Darien retorted.

"If she's in such good hands why can't she have friends?" Ryan asked angrily.

"She can have friends as long as they don't pose a threat to her safety."

"I'm safer for her to be around than her boyfriend." Ryan blurted. “You know, seeing as though he feeds on her…”

"Ryan, stop." I gently put a hand on his chest. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"If you're fine, then I expect to see you in the park tomorrow."

"If nothing else comes up, I'll be there." I replied and then walked off with Darien.

Darien opened the car door for me and closed it once I was inside and put my seatbelt on. Ryan was looking at me from the diner window with a frown. He was angry. I waved and faced the front of the car when Darien got inside the driver’s seat. As he watched us drive off he could barely contain his anger. He quickly paid the bill and left the diner in a foul mood, scowling all the way back to his car. He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him. It didn’t make sense for him to have such an instant connection with me or to worry about how my boyfriend was treating me. The more he thought about it the more it irritated him and the darkness kept feeding it. What the hell was it about me? My presence was downright addictive and he wanted more of it. It was almost maddening. He had to blow off some steam. 

We were down the road a bit before Darien finally spoke up.

"You have no idea just how much you jeopardized your safety."

"You have no idea just how conspicuous your actions are." I retorted. "Normal people have friends, go for walks, and hang out with people without having to report to anyone. Your little scene in the diner raised questions in the minds of the other patrons. Instead of me having a normal conversation with a friend the only thing they saw was me caught in a heated confrontation between you and Ryan."

"Who is someone you know very little about." Darien commented.

"Well that friend I know very little about seems very concerned about me being kept on a tight leash by vampires and bodyguards who supposedly are trying to protect me."

"We _are_ trying to protect you." He frowned.

"Then keep in mind if we're supposed to stay off the grid you need to let me have more freedom. I can't be kept locked up in a city with no friends and no life. It's driving me crazy and it would be a bit different if I actually heard from Eric but he's vanished from my life. For me to stay sane, I must live in the real world and have friends. I don't care if you like it or not, it's the normal and right thing to do so that I can blend in and not stand out."

Darien knew I was right but he wasn't going to admit it. There were more variables than I was aware of and for that reason he had to be vigilant about my safety. He didn't say anything else after that. We drove back to the condo and he remained quiet as I walked out to the balcony to get some fresh air as I took in the view of the city. I could see the park in the distance and I sighed. It was peaceful there and free of chaos.

I didn’t stay on the balcony for very long. To pass the time I went into my bedroom and began watching TV. I didn't want to see Darien or I would lose my temper. I just tuned everything out as I binge-watched Friends.

When the sun finally set, Eric took off to see Godric. He literally flew there and landed at the entrance which was guarded by his security detail. They recognized him at once and let him inside. As he walked down the hall he realized that he arrived at an awkward time as he heard Godric in the living room having sex with someone. Furthermore, he could feel it powerfully through their tie. He hesitated for a moment.

"You may enter, my child." Godric commented just before he got his climax.

Eric walked into the living room and nodded at Godric who was seated on a large leather chair while a young man, no older than 20, was on his knees, wiping his mouth after performing fellatio on Godric. Eric stood still and nodded once. Godric put a hand on the young man's face and smiled.

"You may go." Godric nodded.

The young man with fresh bite marks on his neck nodded at Eric and left the room immediately. Godric put his underwear and pants back on before he walked over to Eric and gave him a hug.

"You are always welcome here." Godric smiled.

"I apologize for interrupting." Eric replied respectfully.

"Nonsense, you didn't interrupt. In fact, I can call him back in here if you would like a go. He's quite good."

"I appreciate the offer, but perhaps another time."

"You're concerned about something." Godric stated as he studied Eric's demeanour and sensed his emotions.

"I have a bit of a situation."

"Sophie-Anne already called me to ask about some human pet you've been spending a lot of time with. I told her that I knew nothing which would be of use to her."

"I apologize for not confiding in you sooner."

"You don't owe me an apology. You can fuck whomever you want; I certainly won't discourage you."

"It's more than that I'm afraid." Eric stated carefully. Godric studied the expression on Eric's face.

"You love her." He was almost shocked. "I can feel it through the tie, even now."

"Yes."

"But I've heard that your reputation is still intact." Godric replied and Eric nodded with a wince. "You feel guilty."

"I had to create a ruse so that Sophie-Anne wouldn't find out about her."

"Find out about what?"

Eric described in detail all about me, our relationship, and my special gift and how he was afraid of what Sophie-Anne would do to me if she found out and took me captive. He also admitted his jealousy at me making new male friends. Godric silently took it all in and then smiled.

"It's been centuries since you loved someone as much as this human girl. If she means that much to you then you must protect her at all costs. Humans with special gifts are rare and they are valuable. She is yours and I don’t want to see her end up in anyone else’s hands. I won't tell Sophie-Anne a thing but I do suggest that you prepare your human for the backlash in case Sophie-Anne finds out."

"I have her staying at my condo in Alexandria." Eric replied.

"Good." Godric commented. "Sophie-Anne doesn't know about that safe house, does she?"

"No." Eric replied. “I kept it off the books and had it registered in someone else’s name that couldn’t be traced to me.”

"I would keep it that way or your human will be taken quicker than you can fly there to see her."

"Are you disappointed in me?" Eric asked.

"For what?" Godric asked. "Finding love for the first time in almost a millennium? No. I'm impressed that this human has won you over and one day I'll have to meet her."

"You will." Eric smiled.

"Good." Godric replied. "Now off you go. Your human needs you.”

“Thank you Godric.” Eric bowed his head.

“Eric, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Humans need interaction with other humans. It’s normal for her to make new friends, whether they're men or not and by hindering her from forming proper attachments you may inadvertently isolate her."

"Thank you for your insight." Eric replied and hugged Godric.

“You’re very welcome, my son.” Godric kissed him on the cheek and then motioned for him to leave.

Eric felt a barrage of emotions but mostly relief that Godric took his side and approved of the relationship. He had no idea how he was going to keep up the pretense of his womanizing without me being caught in the fallout. The spell did its job and didn’t reveal his extracurricular activities, even if it was just a way to keep me off the grid and everyone’s eyes on Brandie but he was certain there would be repercussions. He almost felt it but he put it aside momentarily. He looked at his watch and he took off in the air. He landed on his balcony and opened the patio doors. Darien rushed into the room immediately.

“Where is she?” Eric asked quietly.

“She’s in your bedroom.” Darien replied. “She’s been in there for hours. I think she fell asleep.”

“Leave the condo and lock the door behind you.” Eric stated firmly.

“Am I fired?” Darien asked tentatively.

“No.” Eric sighed. “I spoke with Godric and he also concedes that humans must have regular interaction with other humans; it’s in their nature. If she is frustrated that is not your doing, it’s mine and I must resolve the issue.”

Darien felt like he stepped into the Twilight Zone. It wasn’t like Eric to accept he made a mistake about anything. He nodded once and then left the condo, locking it behind him. Eric walked into the hall and stared at the bedroom door for a good ten minutes before he decided to open it. He could tell by my breathing that I was asleep with the TV on in the background. He opened the door quietly but it didn’t wake me up. He could feel some of my emotional anxiety through the tie and it made him wince. I was lying on my side facing the window, away from the door. He walked over to that side of the bed to face me and he gently ran his hand through my hair. I felt a tingling throughout my body just enough to wake me up, slowly. My eyes opened and when I noticed him kneeling beside the bed with his hand in my hair it woke me up in a hurry.

“Eric?” I asked, thinking I was seeing a mirage. “Is it really you?” He stood up as I got up.

“Yes.” He nodded once.

I studied him for a moment and he felt guilty. It was all over his face and I could feel it through the tie, powerfully.

“Where the hell have you been?” I asked angrily as I stood up and looked up at him. “I’ve been going crazy wondering what the hell happened. You haven’t stayed in contact once in the last few weeks.”

“I apologize.” He replied.

“You owe me more than an apology you big jerk.” I gently pushed him and it made him smile, slightly.

“And I will give it… _later_.”

He swept me up into his arms and began kissing me ravenously. I didn’t even try to stop him. I missed him so much that I got caught up in the blood tie’s influence and let everything go. It didn’t take long for the clothes to end up on the floor and for us to be entangled in each other’s embrace. For the next few hours he made up for his absence and then some. I couldn’t remember having that many orgasms in one night or having sex in so many positions. It had to be some kind of record. When we finished I was trying to catch my breath.

“Was that worth the wait?” He asked with a smirk when he looked down at me.

“Hell yeah!” I smiled. “Don’t ever leave again.” His smile faded and he sat up against the bed. “I know that expression.”

“We have to talk.”

“You do realize that those four words usually precede when someone is breaking up with someone else.”

“I’m not breaking up with you.” He replied and I was relieved.  
“Phew. Good.”

“But we have serious issues to discuss.”

“About my safety?”

“Yes.”

“And why you’ve been so secretive?”

“Yes.” He sighed.

“Is this about Jeff?” I sat up against the headboard, pulling the sheet underneath my arms to stay covered.

“Not exactly.” He replied.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Sophie-Anne found out about you from someone with a big fucking mouth.” Oh… he was pissed off.

“Your Queen Sophie-Anne?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “She sent scouts to Fangtasia to see if you were there.”

“That’s why you never let me go there.”

“Yes.” He agreed. “I couldn’t risk it.”  
“Cut to the chase.” I replied impatiently.

“She knows about your gift and she wants you. The night Pam brought you here she made an impromptu visit to my home to see if I was hiding you there.”

“That’s why you were so freaked out.”

“Yes and I had to remove all traces of your scent, which was challenging.”

“I’m sure it was.”

“She wants me to find you and bring you to her.”  
“What did you tell her about me?”

“I told her that you were a frigid, stubborn human that bored me with your staunch morality.”

“Well I did, _initially_.” I smiled slightly.

“You never bored me, you intrigued me.” He corrected. “In any event she has given me the task to locate you and return you to her.”

“Which you’re not… right?” I asked warily.

“Correct.” Eric replied. “But that means I can’t see you or contact you very often in case she has scouts who will track you through me.”

“So what’s going to happen with us?” I asked nervously.

“At the moment, I can’t give you an answer. Everything is up in the air.” He replied quietly. “You’re mine but I can’t spend the amount of time with you that I want just in case at any moment it could lead her back here.”

Ouch. That hurt and he felt it. He wasn’t brushing me off but he didn’t have much of a choice, in everyone else’s eyes he had a position of great power and authority that he couldn’t just ignore and staying away from his business would only raise questions. I understood completely but I didn’t like the idea of being away from him for an extended period of time with no contact. He stopped and looked at me pensively.

“I will communicate with you and I will visit you when I can tear myself away from my business obligations.”

“I’m assuming it won’t be very often at all.”

“No and for that I’m very sorry. I can make regular appointments to see my maker, Godric, who lives in a nearby state and then visit you afterwards but that will only work for so long. Sophie-Anne isn’t stupid.”

“But we’re not breaking up?”

“No.” He replied. “You’re mine.”

“And you’re mine?” I asked nervously.  
“Yes.”

“Only mine?” I asked and he arched an eyebrow.

“Of course.” He reassured me.  
“Because I never did clarify… that when I said I won’t share you—it wasn’t just with other women.”

“I haven’t been with a man in centuries.” He replied. Oh boy. So he was bisexual. “I prefer women and by women I mean you alone.”

“Oh okay.”

“You were worried I would resume my previous interests with a man?” He was curiously amused by this.

“Well I never asked you if you were bisexual.”

“You have nothing to worry about. I’m not interested in anyone else, male or female.”

“And you’re not biting anyone else?”

“I have to drink blood occasionally but it’s from blood bags.” He lied but tried to make it ring true.

“Is that enough to satiate you?”

“It is when I can have these fabulous reunions with you…” His fangs darted out and I gave him the go ahead.

He bit my neck and his hands began to wander at the same time. He brought me to climax as he had his fill of my blood. When he was done he bit his wrist and brought it to my mouth. He used that opportunity to let his free hand wander and give me another orgasm. It was so intense that I thought I would literally explode when I climaxed.

“Holy shit I miss that.” I commented as I pulled away from his wrist.

“Me too.” He said and kissed me again.

Within seconds he had me on my back and entered me. I grabbed his back as he squeezed my thighs. We switched positions and we kept it up for another couple of hours and until I was really spent. I was definitely satiated until I got my fix until his next visit. We just lied there in each other’s arms, savouring the moment.

“I have arranged that you will have an account at several stores in Alexandria for clothing and living expenses. I want you to feel at liberty to get what you want.”

“I have what I want.” I replied as I ran my hand over his stomach.   
“Even so.” He grinned. “I want you well cared for.” I was speechless. Just like that everything was settled.

“I suppose that you have to head back before the sun rises?”

“Yes or it will raise suspicions.”

My heart sank. He felt my pain. He remained silent. I had to keep the communication going especially right when I needed the assurance that I would see him again.

“Why are you so quiet?” I asked to provoke a response.

“I have too much on my mind.” He replied grimly.

“Things that I’m not supposed to know about?”

“I don’t like this.” What? Me talking to him or the situation... ?

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry. I’m just upset.”

“No, what I meant was that I don’t like the idea of leaving you in another city and being so far away from you. I don’t like how everything is out of control and I can’t seem to do a thing about it. I’m not used to having strong feelings for a human and then being at the mercy of those feelings.” He was completely honest but it was exactly what I needed to hear.

“Don’t you trust these people who watch over me?”

“Yes, they are extremely loyal.” He smiled but was worried and that was odd for him.

“What are you worried about?”

“I don’t know how long you will have to stay here. That makes me anxious. I won’t be able to see you very often but you must stay here until I know for sure it’s safe for you to return.”

“Wow—you’re not used to caring for someone else are you?”

“No.” He replied stiffly.

“And it makes you feel very uncomfortable to trust someone, a human in fact, with those feelings.”

“Yes.” He grimaced.

“That’s why you get upset when you can’t control me.”

“Yes.” His tone implied he didn’t want me to continue. “Especially when you’re making friends with other men.” Oh boy.

“They’re just friends. I don’t cross boundaries with my friends. Do you really think that I would do something to intentionally hurt you?”

“I don’t know.” Ouch.

“You don’t trust me because you can’t control my behaviour?”

“Humans are too unpredictable because they are slaves to their emotions.” 

“I seem to remember the story about a pot and a kettle…” I replied. “You think vampires are predictable? Your behaviour is far from predictable and yet I trust you.” He arched an eyebrow.

“You do?”

“Yes because I can feel it. It must be the blood tie but I know that I can trust you to protect me and to somehow care for me. I may not understand your methods or your strategies but I trust you.”

The silence was deafening. He didn’t say anything. It was probably more than ten minutes before he spoke again.

“You are important to me and I don’t want to lose you.” He finally replied.

“And it freaks you out because this happened so quickly.”

“Yes.”

“And you are worried that I don’t feel the same way?” I added but he was silent for a moment.

“Yes.” He finally replied in a defeated tone.

“But I do, can’t you feel that? Didn’t you feel my anxiety and pain when I knew that we couldn’t be together?”

He was supposed to be perceptive with the blood tie but he seemed clueless.

“I felt your emotions but we’re in a hard predicament and most humans when faced with hardship generally opt for the easy way out.”

“Am I most humans?” I asked sarcastically.

“No.”

“That’s right _no_. You should know better to consider that I’d jump ship when things got tough.”

“But I know how you feel when it comes to the vampire monarchy. You were none too pleased when I summoned Bill to bring Sookie to meet me.”

“Of course I wasn’t! She’s my family and my experience showed me that men aren’t trustworthy, let alone male vampires with a hidden agenda.”   
“Point taken.” He replied.

“I had every right to be suspicious of you.”

“You did indeed.”

“But in spite of it all—no matter how hard I tried to ignore you I couldn’t ignore how I felt about you. That’s no lie.” He didn’t say anything but he did grin slightly. “And I’m loyal—to a fault which you already know.”

“I do.”

“Then how can you assume I wouldn’t remain so.”

“I was mistaken.”

“Thank you!” I sighed.

“But I must remind you that I have a part in this vampire monarchy that you loathe. I have duties and obligations to fulfill, some which I know you don’t approve of but I must perform them nonetheless because I cannot disobey my Queen without suffering the consequences.” That last part was new.

“What?” My eyes bulged.

“I’ll be fine; she won’t find out. She doesn’t know about this safe house.”

I was suddenly very worried for him. Tears started to flood my eyes and stream down my face. He reached one arm over and wiped some away with his hand. It was such a normal human response that it shocked me. He waited for me to finish.

It was unusually sweet behaviour for him. Finally, after contemplating the gravity of what he admitted I responded.

“You’re risking your safety to keep me safe.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“I need to hear you say it.” I replied. “If we’re going to be separated for long periods of time I need to know that it’s not for nothing. That this isn’t just something you’re doing on a whim and I won’t be left in the lurch.”

“I love you.” He whispered. “I have for quite some time now.”

“Longer than the last few months?”

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“After your second visit to Fangtasia. When I heard about your grandmother’s death it grieved me because I knew it caused you great distress.”

“How did you know this?”

“I spied on you, remember?” I forgot about that.

“Oh right! You sent me flowers and a card shortly after the funeral.”   
“That’s the moment I knew I loved you because it hurt me knowing that you were suffering intense emotional pain.”

He had changed. Eric Northman wasn’t someone reputed to give a damn about what affect the humans within his district but after seeing me twice and being spurned twice I somehow had this magical effect on him that caused him to fall in love with me. That was new and unheard of. Vampires didn’t typically fall in love with anyone, much less humans but he did and I was right there with him, hook, line and sinker.

“I love you too, Eric.” I whispered quietly.

I rested my head against his chest and he gently stroked my back with his fingers. We stayed like that for a long time not bothering to move. Eventually I fell asleep in his arms but the bliss was interrupted by Eric’s cell phone ringing. He gently slipped out of bed and looked at it. It was Godric.

“Godric?” Eric answered curiously.

“I’m sorry to disturb the bliss with your human but you need to get back here as soon as possible.”

“Sophie-Anne.” Eric commented.

“Yes. She called here looking for you and I told her you were otherwise occupied with my humans. I wouldn’t put it past her to follow up and make sure I’m not lying.”

“Damn it.” Eric muttered. “How long do you think I have?”

“An hour at most.” Godric replied.

“I’ll be there shortly.” Eric replied.

“I’ll see you soon.” Godric said and disconnected the call.

Eric frowned and put his cell on the nightstand. He looked at me savouring the view of my nakedness and my peaceful sleep. He sighed and slowly sat on the bed, gently tapping me on the arm. I yawned and woke up slowly.

“Dawn is in a couple of hours and as much as I would like to stay I must leave before then.” His tone was regretful.

He wrapped his arm around me like he didn’t want to let go. Tears fell down my cheeks and onto his chest.

“I want to stay.” He stated tenderly.

“I know.” I replied.

“I will try to stay in touch more often. It’s hard when I’m under constant surveillance.”

“I imagine it would be.” I replied. “Do you know who’s watching you?”

“No but my gut says to stay on guard.” He replied.

“Then trust your gut.” I advised. “It hasn’t steered me wrong when I listen to it.

“What does your gut say now?” He asked curiously.

“That things are going to be challenging in the coming months.”

“Did you get a premonition about it?”

“No but I can feel it.” I sighed.

“It won’t always be like this.” He tried to assure me.

“I know.”

He looked at the clock and he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He began to get dressed and I put on a robe and watched him. When he was ready to go he put a hand on the side of my face.

“Be careful who you befriend.” He stated calmly. “You don’t know if Sophie-Anne has any scouts in the area.”

“I will be careful but you have to trust me.” I replied.

“I do trust _you_.” He responded quietly. “I don’t trust most humans out there.”

“But most humans don’t get premonitions, whereas, I do.” I replied and he smiled.

“Then be vigilant and listen to what your premonitions show you.”

“I will.” I replied and then my brow furrowed. “It is weird that I haven’t seen anything concerning us, or you…”

“Didn’t you say it wasn’t an exact science and it doesn’t work like you expect it to?”

“Ugh. Yes.” I sighed.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure this will blow over eventually.”

“I hope so.”

“It will.”

He pulled me into an embrace and then kissed me passionately before he nodded once and left the condo in a flash. Tears fell down my cheeks again as I closed the bedroom door and crawled back into bed.

Eric landed in the backyard of Godric’s estate and covertly snuck into the mansion. Godric was waiting for him though. There were a few women and men, scantily dressed, staring back at him.

“My gift to you.” Godric stated in a tone that Eric knew all too well. He was trying to protect him.

“Thank you.” Eric smiled. “Should we move this party upstairs?” He smirked at the ladies and they nodded excitedly.

“Use the red room.” Godric stated. “It’s large enough to accommodate all of you at once.”

Eric nodded once and left the room with his hands around the waists of the women on either side of him. Godric’s smile faded when he watched them walk up the stairs and turn a corner. He knew it was profoundly difficult for Eric to cheat on me. He could feel it through the blood tie, so much so, that a bloodied tear fell down his cheek but it wasn’t even seconds later that he felt a very different feeling course through the blood tie and it coincided with the orgy taking place upstairs. The doorbell interrupted his thoughts. He quickly wiped the bloodied tear from his face and sighed. He knew who it was and opened the door at once.

“Godric.” Sophie-Anne smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How are you?” Andre was beside her, studying him.

“Very well, of course, but I am in the midst of entertaining guests.”

“No doubt Eric is among them.” She answered, waiting for him to step aside.

She wasn’t exactly his Queen and since he was the oldest vampire in history he had more power, respect and authority than she did. Additionally, he could have massacred both her and Andre in a blink but for Eric’s sake, decided against it and stepped aside to let them in. Once they were in the foyer he closed the door and looked at the ceiling. It would be obvious to everyone what was happening upstairs because the moans and squeals of delight could be heard by a human, never mind a vampire with itchy ears. She looked at the ceiling and then smirked at Andre.

“It seems you are entertaining.” She quipped.

“You’re welcome to join us.” Godric offered and stretched his arm toward the stairs.

He wasn’t sure she would accept the offer but she would definitely make sure Eric was a part of the orgy in order to verify his presence there.

“I’ll consider it.” She smiled and began to walk toward the staircase. Andre followed behind her, and then Godric.

Eric, despite being literally in the middle of a threesome, could hear them talking downstairs and then ascending the stairs. He couldn’t have timed it better. When Sophie-Anne opened the door to the sex room he was thrusting furiously inside a woman who was bent over in front of him while a man was thrusting him from behind. The others were sprawled on the bed in various positions and screaming in ecstasy. He was just getting his release when she arched an eyebrow and gave him a sultry smile. The guy behind him finished his climax and then the woman screamed with her completion. They separated from each other and Eric bowed his head at Sophie-Anne.

“My Queen.” He stated quietly, standing in front of her in all of his naked glory. She stared at his anatomy and grinned.

“Godric, you certainly know how to throw a party.” She looked back at Godric and then at Andre. “Can you please show Andre to the living room. I will be down in a little while.”

Godric nodded and they both left the room after closing the door. She undressed slowly and then stepped out of her expensive high heels.

“I would very much like to see if you live up to the hype.” She purred as she dropped the last bit of clothing on the floor.

What Eric truly wanted to do was rip her head off her pretty shoulders but he put his animosity aside and gave her a sultry smile. He walked over to her and pulled her against him while he began kissing her neck and then her mouth. He gave her exactly what she wanted. Fierce, animalistic sex that catered to her deepest desires. He pounded her and pounded her without mercy and it egged her on. They switched positions several times and they finished with him bending her over the bed and entering her anus. Apparently she liked that a lot and her moans got louder. It upped the ante in the room and everyone went on a full-blown ass-fucking binge. The guys had the women bent over and were thrusting away because they were aroused by Eric and Sophie-Anne’s tryst.

When it was all said and done, everyone was exhausted and practically collapsed on each other, well satiated. Eric looked at the clock on the wall and stood up, picking his clothes off the floor.

“Dawn is almost here.” He stated calmly as he got dressed.

Sophie-Anne followed suit. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek while grabbing his ass.

“Thank you for living up to the hype.” She purred. “Normally I prefer women but I would certainly make an exception for you.” He nodded courteously. “Would you like to share a light-tight room?”

“I’m flattered, Your Majesty, but I must return to Shreveport.” He forced a smile.

“I keep forgetting you can literally fly home.” She replied. “What I would give to have that talent.”

He didn’t respond. He bowed his head and left the sex room, closing the door behind him. Sophie-Anne looked at the naked humans who couldn’t be bothered to get dressed. They just positioned themselves on the king-sized bed and began to close their eyes. It wasn’t long before they fell asleep. She smirked and walked downstairs. Godric was waiting in the foyer with Andre.

“Is Eric gone already?” She asked curiously.

“Yes.” Godric replied. “Would you like to stay in a light-tight room?”

“Yes, thank you.” She smiled.

“I have one in the cellar made especially for guests.” Godric led the way around the corner and they followed.

He showed them to their room and he closed the door behind them as he walked back upstairs. He could feel Eric’s repulsion, anger, and torment through the blood tie but it was useless to try to call him right then as Sophie-Anne would overhear. He ventured into his master bedroom and pressed the button on the wall by the windows that sealed the room in a light-tight state. Then he got into bed and stared at the ceiling, knowing full well that it would be hours before he fell asleep.

Eric arrived back at his house shortly before dawn and walked straight to his bedroom without saying a word to his associates. They could tell he was in a vile mood and to leave well enough alone or they would incur his wrath. It was a good thing he left the room in its light-tight state because he didn’t think twice about heading straight to the shower to wash off the residue of the orgy. The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He hated succumbing to extreme measures to keep Sophie-Anne in the dark, let alone having sex with her, when the only thing he wanted to do to her was put her head on a spike in the ground.

As the water beat down on him and washed away the sweat and smell of sex, a couple of bloodied tears hit the floor of the shower stall. It hurt him to betray me in such a vile way and he knew that if somehow I found out, it would destroy me. He had to find a way to protect me without secretly betraying my trust.


	5. Revelations

When I finally got out of bed the absence of his presence hit me like a ton of bricks. The clock on the wall indicated 4:00 pm. I didn’t want to get up at all but I knew that I would have to eat eventually. The room would have been pitch black if it wasn’t for the lamp in the corner. I noticed that there was a button on the wall to retract the black blinds. I pressed it and the light came in. I slowly sauntered out of the bed. I noticed he left a note on the nightstand. He must have written it before he woke me up earlier but I was too distracted to notice.

_“I have decided to have a different associate watch you during the evenings to break up the tedium. Landon, who is a vampire, will protect you at night and during the day Darien will continue to watch over you. They are both loyal to me and they will respect you. If you are in trouble I want, you to call Pam’s cell even during the day. I will call you as often as I’m able to and I will visit you the first chance I get. I want you to be careful, my lover, Eric.”_

I wasn’t entirely surprised that he wanted a vampire to watch over me at night. If I was confronted with a supernatural being, then Landon could protect me. I liked how he added the detail of Landon and Darien being loyal to him which meant they would respect me. He must have sensed my displeasure at being treated like a caged animal. I sighed. I couldn’t let myself get depressed because it would make our time apart feel longer and if he sensed my pain it would distract him and he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his responsibilities properly.

I pulled myself together emotionally and decided to take a shower. Our bedroom had a huge bathroom of its own which was nice because I liked the privacy. I lingered in the shower for probably about 45 minutes. I never wanted to get out but finally I did. There was a beautiful housecoat on the hook outside the shower that I never noticed before. I wondered if he bought it for me especially. I put it on while I wandered back into the bedroom to get dressed. I walked over to one of the dressers and began looking in the drawers. I had so many clothes to choose from but thankfully they weren’t all outfits that you would find on a red carpet but even the casual clothes had designer labels. I sighed then slowly got dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a white t-shirt. I dried my hair and decided to put it back with a head band. I didn’t bother putting any make-up on. I didn’t care how I looked, especially if I wasn’t going to see Eric for a while.

I walked out of the bedroom tentatively, feeling a bit strange. Despite being there for a few weeks already, I suddenly missed my own apartment and as boring and mundane as everything used to be, I enjoyed the familiarity of it. One thing I didn’t have were my books. I had to go out and find a bookstore. Sookie and Jason used to tease me about being a bookworm when we grew up but it was my way of escaping from the pain and the aching reality of what I lost. Reading helped take me to another world where I could lose myself, where I could live through the characters, where I didn’t have to think about how much I hurt inside and it would be the perfect pastime since I initially didn’t think that three weeks would turn into an indefinite period of time.

What the hell was I going to do with myself all day and night? I was used to working. I could get a part-time job or something, even if it was only for a short while, just to fill up the time. At least I had a couple of new friends that I would be able to hang out with occasionally but even then…things would become remarkably dull eventually. I had to find a hobby or something to pass the time. I couldn’t just watch the massive TV all the time, even if I was thankful it had a complete home theatre system and surround sound plus what looked like hundreds of DVD’s and Blu-Rays stacked neatly beside it. I looked out the patio doors. I loved the balcony off the living room, it seemed to wrap around the entire condo and it had a beautiful view. I couldn’t help but wonder why there would be beautiful patio furniture on a balcony that nobody would use during the day?

On the dining room table, I noticed an envelope with my name neatly printed on the outside. Hmmm. I opened it and just about fell over. There was a huge wad of cash inside plus a note with the names of the stores where I had an account to shop at. Like he didn’t give me enough stuff already? I counted the money…which seemed to take forever. When I was finished I had close to five thousand dollars! Was he crazy? I didn’t need that much money. I had enough food for like 20 people, clothes, personal hygiene items, a cell phone, an account at some local stores in case I needed more clothes—but he still left me money. I immediately located my purse and put about $500 in the wallet but I left the rest in the envelope under my lingerie. My stomach reminded me I was famished. I made myself something to eat but just as I put the condiments away—I noticed on the very bottom shelf was a variety of synthetic blood. It made me feel at ease because it wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t planning on coming back. I took a bottle of water and closed the fridge door. It was quiet. Darien wasn’t there, which I found curious.

“Is anyone here?” I called out and it took a moment but Darien walked around the corner.

“Do you need something?” He asked politely.

“I didn’t think anyone was here.”

“I was in one of the guest rooms.” He replied.

“How many guest rooms are there?” I asked curiously.

“Two.” He replied. “But only Landon will spend the night here, protecting you.”

It made sense, Landon was a vampire and he would be up all night whereas I would be asleep.

“Is he here right now?” I asked.

“He’s asleep in the light-tight guest room. He will be up shortly.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I apologize if I offended you in any way.” He stated too politely.

“I’m not offended. I’m annoyed but not offended.” I forced a smile. “I just need some space now and again.”

“So Eric mentioned.” He replied. “I’ll do my best but he prefers that you have an escort nearby wherever you go.”

“I’m just used to taking care of myself—that’s all.” I commented.

“Now that you belong to Eric, he has made it clear to us how valuable you are and we must take the proper precautions to protect you.” Ugh. I almost rolled my eyes. I didn’t _belong_ to anyone but myself; however, I didn’t want to start a fight.

“I understand.” I nodded once. “I was hoping to find a bookstore. I like to read and I have nothing to read here.”

“I think Barnes & Noble is open until 9 pm. I can take you there.” Good.

I grabbed my purse, put on a pair of shoes and followed him out of the condo. We took the elevator to the parking garage and he stayed close to my side as we walked to the visitor’s parking. When he pressed the button on the automatic lock mechanism, the lights to a Maserati lit up. My eyes widened.

“A Maserati? Really?” I stated without thinking.

“Guilty pleasure.”

“I guess so...” I mumbled as he opened the door for me. “But it attracts a lot of attention.”

“Good point.” He considered that. “We could always walk there. It’s not too far away and I know how much you like to go to the park.”

He was right and I did promise Ryan that I would make a special trip to see him.

“We can stop there on the way to the bookstore but you can’t follow me too closely.” I replied.

“Your friend doesn’t trust me.” He commented.

“My friend doesn’t trust many people.” I replied.

“Except you.”

“I guess…” I mumbled.

“I will keep my distance.” Darien nodded.

“Thank you.”

As promised Darien kept his distance when I entered the park. I wasn’t even sure if Ryan was there but I gave my word that I would meet him so I walked around looking for him. When I didn’t see him anywhere I took a seat on a nearby bench. I stared straight ahead and waited patiently. I figured sooner or later he would show up. I took out my phone and checked my messages. I didn’t expect to see any from Eric because he was being so closely watched nor did I expect to see any from Ryan either because he didn’t have my phone number. I wasn’t sure why I looked at the phone, maybe to pass the time while I waited for Ryan to show up.

On the other side of the city Ryan was pacing around the living room. He was angry with himself for getting distracted from his original purpose in the city but he was curious about me. There was an internal struggle going on and one that he was quite accustomed to. The darkness that he tried to control had been feeding his mind incessantly with visions of me. He sensed something about me that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He felt something emanate from me that was unfamiliar but he knew I was valuable, not just to the vampires, he just wasn’t sure exactly why. He was definitely attracted to me more than he wanted to admit to himself because it went deeper than the surface and he couldn’t explain it. He felt connected to me somehow. He also felt the residual effects of a spell radiate off me but not one that he immediately recognized. The spell itself was at least five centuries old based on the lingering scents of the ingredients that were used which meant it wouldn’t be posted anywhere or logged in a spell book that was currently accessible to him. The witch who used that magic had access to spells and rituals that most didn’t and it had to come from an ancient manual or grimoire and that meant he would have to refer to his personal library that was carefully hidden at an out of town estate.

He sighed and noticed the time. He made me promise to meet him but the day was almost spent and he hadn’t shown up at the park. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. He got a picture of me sitting in the park, waiting for him. He was conflicted about going but deep inside, the darkness prodded him and kept reminding him of my unusual aura. When he thought about that he wanted to meet me but he had to make sure his date from the previous night was conscious and out the door before he left. He wandered back into his bedroom and noticed she was getting dressed in a hurry.

“I slept the day away.” She commented as she finished getting ready. “It’s not like me to miss work.”

“I would have set the alarm.” He replied.

“I didn’t think we’d be up all night.” She replied with a smirk. “But I don’t regret it.”

“Neither do I.” Ryan smiled and held out a twenty-dollar bill. She arched an eyebrow. “Cab money.” He stated quietly. “If you need it.”

“Um… thanks… I guess.”

She politely took it from his hands, got her stuff together and grabbed her purse. She looked at him curiously, wondering if she should give him her number. It also wasn’t like her to hook up with someone on the first night but she didn’t regret it, he was amazing in bed and she wouldn’t mind hooking up with him again. While she contemplated what to say he beat her to the punch and handed her his business card.

“Call me on your next night off if you want to get together again.” He smiled slightly.

“Okay.” She nodded once.

He walked her to the door and she gave him a kiss on the lips before she smiled and walked out into the hall of the large building. He smiled slightly and then closed the door behind her. His smile disappeared and he sighed, he was back to thinking about whether he should join me at the park. He felt oddly protective of me which was preposterous considering that he barely knew me and he normally didn’t care about random women he just met but he couldn’t help it.

“Ah fuck it.” He commented to himself and he decided to meet me. The darkness within was content with his choice.

He put his wallet and his cell into his pants pocket and then locked the doors after he stepped into the hall. He hurriedly made his way to the park.

I was in the midst of reading and responding to a few text messages from Sookie when I noticed a pale, pretty girl with a heart shaped face and brown hair looking in my direction. She smiled slightly and then continued walking and talking with her friend. I didn’t see his face but from the back he was tall, muscular, had very dark hair, almost raven coloured, and tanned skin. She looked back at me again, almost like she somehow knew me but the guy she was with caught her attention and she turned to face him. I wondered what that was about but Ryan interrupted me before I could make any sense of it.

“Hey.” He smiled. “I see they gave you a day pass.” Oh boy. He was joking but there was a cold edge to his sarcasm.

“I’m pretty sure I resolved everything last night.” I replied. “But I am sorry that you got caught up in all the drama.”

He noticed I was wearing a scarf around my neck which was most likely hiding vampire bites. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that; part of him felt pissed off and the other part inquisitive.

“You worked everything out with your boyfriend?” He asked curiously.

“There was a misunderstanding with the bodyguard but my boyfriend knows I’m going to have friends.”

“Male friends?”

“Yes.” I grinned. “He’s not a tyrant or anything.”

“Is he the reason you’re wearing a scarf?” Ah damn it.

“Um yeah but it’s nothing to worry about.” I mumbled and bit my lower lip. He clued in right then.

“Oh, so it was just to up the ante during sex.” He commented and I blushed. “Sorry… that wasn’t a dig at you.”

“I—I don’t want to talk about my sex life.” I replied. “Ever.” He raised his arms in surrender.

“Oh—sorry.”

He thought it was cute that I was embarrassed to talk about sex when vampires were reputed to be quite liberal and creative lovers. Immediately his mind wandered and wondered just what kind of positions I had tried with Eric.

Meanwhile at the other end of the park the pretty brunette had stopped walking and was staring back at us.

“What’s going on?” Her raven-haired friend asked and tried to see who she was looking at.

“Do you remember me telling you about Alice’s vision?” She asked.

“Which one? ‘Cause she has a lot of them.” He replied.

“The one where I would make friends with a blonde that would need our help?”

“Vaguely.” He commented, seemingly disinterested.

“I got a strange feeling when I walked by her.” She looked back at me. “Like I knew her from a different life or something. I wonder if that means she’s the one Alice told me about.”

“You want to go back and talk to her?” He asked.

“No. She’s busy with her friend.” She replied.

“I don’t like the look of him.” He commented with a bit of a frown.

“Why?” She asked curiously.

“Don’t know.” He replied. “Just a vibe I got when we walked by them.”

“They seem to get along well.” She replied as her voice trailed off.

“Yeah well maybe all is not as it seems.” He answered.

“Or maybe you’re just jaded.” She replied as she gave him a playful shove.

“Yeah, that could be it.” He replied.

I noticed they kept looking over at me but they were too far away for me to really see what he looked like. I did find it odd she kept looking back at me.

“Do you know them?” Ryan asked when he saw me looking over at them.

“I don’t know. They seem familiar but I can’t figure out how I know either one of them.”

“Did you want to go over and talk to them?” He asked.

“No, she’s busy with her friend.”

At that point she noticed me staring and she waved over at me. I waved back and nodded once, which caused her friend to wave as well.

“They seem nice enough.” Ryan replied.

“They do…” I continued looking at them curiously.

“She seems nice.” The raven-haired guy commented. “Waving at a couple of people she doesn’t even know.”

“If she’s the one that Alice told me about she’s one of the nicest people we’ll ever meet.”

“Then why don’t we go over there and introduce ourselves now?” He asked curiously.

“No… I don’t think the time’s right.” She stated warily.

“You and Alice are nuts. Since when are there rules to everything? She got a vision that you were going to make friends with a pretty blonde that needed your help and there she is but you’re like _oh it’s not the right time_. You’re not going out on a date or anything…”

“So you think she’s pretty…” She smiled.

“Shut up.” He shook his head. “Don’t change the subject. What is it about the _timing_?”

“Because if the timing is wrong then even the right person will seem like the wrong person.”

“Boy, isn’t that the truth.” He commented and looked into her eyes.

“Don’t start.” She shook her head and then began walking away from him.

He looked back over at us curiously but then ran to catch up to her.

“I think they just had an argument.” Ryan replied.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Body language. I think he said something that got her guard up and made her walk away.”

“Wow. You certainly know how to read people.” I replied.

“Yeah, I do.” He replied.

It bothered him that Eric bit me but he wasn’t sure why. I didn’t owe him anything and he barely knew me but for some reason it grated his nerves that I was dating a vampire. Then there was that residue of an ancient spell that was coming off me. He could detect it but still couldn’t place it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously.

“What’s the deal with your boyfriend? Why isn’t he around a lot?”

“He’s been working out of town but last night he was able to stop by for a quick visit.” I replied.

“Not that quick, apparently.” He commented as he eyed the scarf again.

I heard the tone. It almost sounded like he was jealous but that was ridiculous. We didn’t know each other well enough for him to be jealous.

“Why are you upset?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” He replied uncomfortably. “We don’t know each other very well but I feel strangely protective of you.”

“Oh.” That was both nice and weird at the same time.

“Can I be honest with you without you freaking out?” He asked.

“Sure.” I nodded once.

“Obviously you know about vampires.” He began carefully.

“And shapeshifters.” I added.

“Right.” He nodded. “So you’re aware that there are supernatural things out there that you can’t explain.”

“Yes… do you have a point?”

“What do you know about witchcraft, spells, incantations, and rituals?” That was out of nowhere.

“Um… not a lot.” I replied.

“So you don’t personally know any witches or warlocks?” He studied me like he expected me to lie.

“No. I’ve never even met one before.”

“Interesting.” He commented.

“Why?” I asked curiously.

He paused, gauging to see if he should be honest or just let me continue on in ignorance, but the darkness within him provoked him to be honest with me. It wanted to see what my response would be.

“I know people heavily immersed in the lifestyle so I’ve become accustomed to their habits, their spells, and their rituals.”

“Oh wow, that must be interesting.” I was intrigued.

“And dangerous.” He added. “But the reason I’m asking you this is that since I’ve met you I’ve sensed the faint residue of a spell coming from you.”

“From _me_?” My eyes bulged. “Like someone has literally put a spell over me?”

“Or someone you know very well.” He added.

That immediately made me think of Eric and the predicament with the Queen. What if someone had put a spell on him to track his whereabouts or his conversations? I didn’t know anything about magic but I had heard through the grapevine that some witches were powerful and capable of just about anything. What if Queen Sophie-Anne hired a witch to spy on him? Ryan saw the panic on my face and quickly interjected.

“I’m not trying to freak you out. I was merely concerned about you.”

“What kind of spell do you detect?”

“I honestly don’t know. It’s ancient magic, centuries old, which means whoever did the spell is a very old and powerful witch or has access to his or her spells.”

“And the older the witch… the more powerful?” I asked curiously.

“Yes because the powers intensify through the bloodlines.”

“Huh. So you think this witch put a spell on me or us?” I asked.

“Us?” Ryan arched an eyebrow.

“My boyfriend and I.” I replied. Ryan thought about that for a moment.

“How old is your vampire boyfriend?”

“He’s over a thousand years old.?” I replied.

There weren’t many vampires that were older than a millennium and the ones who were had positions of great authority in power—which meant one of them developing an attachment with a human was all the more captivating.

“Wow, so he’s very powerful in his own right. I imagine he has a lot of resources and contacts in the supernatural community that he is exposed to on a regular basis.”

“You could say that.” I replied quietly.

“There are witches powerful enough to put spells on creatures that leave a residue like the one I’m sensing from you and when you’re intimate with your boyfriend it’s highly probable the spell has rubbed off on you. It would explain what I’m feeling… what I’m sensing.”

“If someone did put a spell on him then he’s unaware of it. He’s not one to hold back the truth.”

“Or he’s been spelled to forget about it.” Ryan added.

“Hmmm.” I contemplated everything he said. “I don’t know how any of it works.”

“I might have a way to cut it off from influencing you.” He added without thinking.

“How do you know it’s influencing me?”

“Every spell or ritual has a purpose and it always affects someone. If the spell itself is powerful enough it may affect someone who gets too close to the one who is spelled. Due to the fact the spell is an ancient one but powerful enough for it to give off a residue I’m inclined to say you are definitely affected by it.”

“You sound like an expert in this.”

“It pays to be proactive about things that can adversely affect you and to research them to stay safe.”

“You’re not wrong.” I replied.

“It’s like knowing self-defence just in case someone attacks you.”

“You make several good points.” I replied without revealing the reason behind my interest.

“I’ve done enough research that I know something that might help you.”

“Then do it.” I replied without hesitation.

“Just like that?” He was shocked at my openness but the darkness was very satisfied with my naivety.

“You offered and it’s clear you think it’s a good idea.”

“It is.”

“Then I’m sure.”

“Okay.” He smiled slightly.

He looked around to make sure nobody was watching us or listening in but we were in the clear. People were absorbed with their own lives to even give us a second glance.

“Close your eyes.” He whispered and I did what he said.

He chanted something in an unknown language, though it seemed like Latin, in a very quiet voice. Almost immediately it felt as though something lifted off me. It only took seconds but I felt different, almost free, in a way. He instantly felt something break off me.

“It’s done.” He replied and I opened my eyes.

“I felt something lift off me.”

“I felt something break off you.” He replied calmly.

Internally he was very concerned. The level of magic he sensed was unlike anything he had come across and that could mean a potential threat to him. He was very interested in knowing why the spell would be on anyone I knew, especially since it would mean I would likely be affected by it. It just added more pieces to the puzzle he was trying to solve about me.

“You don’t look very happy.” I replied.

“The intensity of that particular spell…” He began. “Whoever wields that kind of magic is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh.” I mumbled. “I can try to find out more about it if you want.”

“No.” He shook his head. “That would put an immediate target on your back… um…”

“What?”

“Remember that guy you were talking to in the park that day before I came over?” He asked warily.

“Caleb?” I asked curiously. “The guy with the dark hair?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“What about him?”

“Does he know your boyfriend?” There was something in his expression that revealed genuine concern.

“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t think they’ve even had a conversation. He’s our downstairs neighbour.”

“Oh.”

“And Eric probably hasn’t seen him face to face in over a year, at least according to Darien.”

“Phew. Good.” Ryan replied.

“Phew?” I asked, with an arched eyebrow.

“I was curious if he was the one who might have put the spell on your boyfriend.”

“Caleb’s not a witch or warlock—if that’s what you’re insinuating.” I replied immediately.

“How can you be sure?” Ryan asked curiously.

“I usually have a pretty good radar or vibe and besides… aren’t witches or warlocks evil? As in The Wizard of Oz evil?” He laughed.

“No, not all of them are evil. Yes, there are some who go dark side like Voldemort or Saruman but the majority aren’t like that.”

“Oh, okay.” I commented. “But I still don’t get a witchy vibe from him.” I insisted.

“If you never met one before then how could you know?’

“Good point but I don’t sense that he’s the type of person who would covertly put a spell on me or my boyfriend. He gives off a very… good _vibe_.”

“ _Good vibe_?” He arched his eyebrows as though he was hinting at something.

“I don’t know… it’s hard to explain. I feel completely at ease around him, like he exudes a kind of peaceful aura or something.”

“Sounds like you’re in love with him or something.” He smirked.

“What?” My eyes bulged. “No— _no_.” I shook my head. “We’re just friends. That’s it.” I turned red, very red.

“Wow. You’re embarrassed just at the thought. Have I uncovered a secret crush?” He teased.

“Stop that.” I sighed and playfully pushed his arm. “I don’t have a crush on him. I like him, as a friend, that’s it.”

“Huh. You’re extremely loyal.” He commented. “You haven’t even thought of a guy other than your vampire boyfriend?”

The second he said it… the dream about that beautiful, raven haired guy came back into my head and I turned even redder. The images kept replaying over and over.

“Ha!” He laughed. “I knew it! Look at your face! So you do have a crush on Caleb.”

“Um… no I don’t have a crush on Caleb. I _did_ have a random dream about some guy I never met.”

“You have random dreams about guys you never met?” He was suddenly very curious.

“I never did _before_ …” I commented. “However, just prior to moving here I had this very _vivid_ dream about some guy with dark, dark brown hair.”

“Vivid dream?” He smirked. “Is that your way of saying you had a sex dream about him?”

“Um… I…” I looked at my feet.

“Wow. You did.” He grinned. “I don’t know why you’re embarrassed to talk about it.”

“It was bizarre. How can people have dreams like that about someone they never met?”

“Wow you’re so… _pure._ ”

“I’m hardly pure.” I commented. “I’m in a relationship with a vampire.”

“I didn’t say you were frigid.” He corrected. “I said _pure_ , that’s an entirely different connotation.”

“How so?”

“You have a very strong moral compass.”

“I don’t see that as a bad thing.”

“Neither do I but it’s definitely a rare thing.”

“I guess.” I sighed.

“It’s not a crime to think or dream about someone who isn’t your boyfriend.”

“I don’t see it that way.” I replied.

“Why?” He asked curiously. “When it’s crystal clear you would never act on those dreams or thoughts?”

“If you keep replaying the thoughts or dreams over and over it could actually affect you emotionally.”

“Does it affect you?” I didn’t answer. “Hmmm. Are you sure it wasn’t about Caleb?” He teased.

“No but oddly enough the guy in the dream looks a lot like Caleb, they could be brothers or something.”

“Really?” This sounded something other than just a dream.

“Yeah but I don’t feel that way about Caleb.”

“Maybe the dream about the guy was foreshadowing something with Caleb.”

“No.” I shook my head.

“You seem pretty confident about that.”

“I am. I don’t cheat. Ever.”

“There’s that moral compass again.” He joked. “So it was _just_ a dream… but what if you ever meet that guy in real life.”

“I doubt it.” I shook my head.

“Why do you say that?” He asked curiously.

“Because of the scenario in the dream.”

“I thought it was just a sex dream.”

“Well there was that…” I turned very red again. “But it seemed like we were in a relationship or something. The way he treated me; it wasn’t just a casual fling.”

“You don’t strike me as someone who does any casual dating.”

“I don’t.”

“Then how can you tell the difference?”

“Because I’ve been around enough vampires to _see_ the difference.”

“Fair enough.” He commented. “What if the dream is a foreshadowing of what’s to come?”

“No.” I shook my head again. “I don’t see anyone in my life except Eric.”

“For now…” He stated with a pensive expression.

“I don’t shop around.”

“Not to be a Debbie Downer but you do realize that vampires don’t generally settle down? I think your vampire loves you, the best way he knows how, but in the long run… are you positively certain he will make that commitment to you? He’s immortal and you’re human. Do you think he’ll be content to stay with you while you age and until you die?” Ouch.

“Ugh. You really know how to put me on the spot.”

“I ask the hard questions because it leads to the truth.”

“Fine. You got me. I don’t know. I never considered it until now.”

“Unless he turns you into a vampire and then—” He began to say but interjected.

“No freaking way.” I shook my head. “I will not become a vampire.”

“Oh… so you’ve already settled this.” He replied.

“Yes.”

“And he knows?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Well I hope he knows what a good thing he has because women like you are rare. Like a million to one.”

“Um…” I stammered.

“And for the record—that vibe you were talking about, the _peaceful aura_ … you have it too.” He smiled. Oh boy.

“Thanks.” I blushed.

“You’re blushing again.” He teased. “You really aren’t used to getting compliments.”

“No, I guess not.”

I stared at him for a moment. I couldn’t remember having such a deep conversation with a guy since my friend Josh in college, not even with Eric, and it gave me mixed feelings about Ryan. I had opened up to him and revealed so much more than I originally intended and I felt vulnerable.

“Are you okay?” He asked. “You looked spooked.”

“Just have a lot on my mind.” I commented and forced a smile.

“With good reason.” He replied. “Look, if you hear or see anything _witchy_ and you need answers, feel free to let me know.”

“I will.” I smiled. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He smiled and it lit up his face.

In the distance I could see Darien staring at us and then tapping his wrist. Ryan turned to see what I was looking at and saw Darien. He faced me and rolled his eyes.

“Day pass over?” He asked sarcastically.

“Well I was going to head over to the bookstore…”

“Do you want some company?” He asked. “I could prove to your bodyguard that I’m not a threat.”

“That would be a great idea actually.” I grinned.

“Good, let’s go.” Ryan said and we both began to walk toward Darien.

When we got closer to Darien he arched an eyebrow. Ryan shocked me by extending his hand.

“Hey, about the other night, no hard feelings. I just thought you were being a bit stalkerish.”

“Likewise.” Darien replied and shook Ryan’s hand for a second before releasing it.

“Ryan’s going to join me at the bookstore.” I replied. “If that’s alright with you.”

“That’s fine with me.” Darien replied with forced civility.

“Great.” Ryan smiled and motioned for me to follow him.

“Thank you.” I whispered to Darien before walking ahead with Ryan.

Darien didn’t say anything, he remained quiet. Ryan pointed out a few stores and restaurants on the way to the bookstore. It was refreshing to be able to interact like normal people. I couldn’t remember the last time I just hung out with people without being on a deadline. It was a welcome change. He opened the door to the bookstore for me and let me go in first, he still held the door for Darien but didn’t look back at him. We wandered through the rows of books and I looked at the categories, wondering where I should begin. I picked up a basket but Ryan took it for me and motioned for me to look around.

“What genre are you looking for?” He asked curiously.

“I like a ton of genres, actually.”

“Do you like Science Fiction or Fantasy?”

“I do.” I nodded.

“Then you should read this book series…” Ryan commented. “It’s incredible.”

He put Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire series into the basket and I looked at it curiously.

“Looks like heavy reading.” I replied.

“You won’t regret it.” Ryan responded.

“I’ve heard good things about that series.” Darien added.

“See?” Ryan smiled.

“Okay.” I replied and he noticed another series grabbed his attention and he showed it to me. “Leviathan Wakes?”

“One of the best Science Fiction series I’ve read since Edgar Rice Burroughs.” He commented proudly.

“Wow. That’s high praise.”

“Well deserved.”

“Okay… then put it in the basket.” I replied and he grabbed the entire series. “That’s a lot of reading.”

“Too much?” He asked curiously.

“It’s fine. I like to read.” I replied. “I don’t have much to do right now so it’s a great way to pass the time.”

“Are you independently wealthy?” He smirked.

“No. I just have some… savings I can live off of.”

There was no way I was telling him that Eric paid for everything. Not a chance. Darien didn’t refute my comment either, thank God.

After going through rows and rows of books we needed another basket and that one was almost full. It had James Patterson, Stephen King, John Grisham, and Robert Ludlum.

“I think you’re good for a while.” Ryan smiled. “Or we might never see you again.”

“I think you’re right.”

Meanwhile about an hour out of the city in a remote, privately owned, and vast forested area the brunette and her raven-haired friend from the park walked into the clearing in front of the estate where she lived with other members of her family and her fiancé. He saw her from the window of their room on the second floor and inadvertently overheard their conversation.

“Alice creeps me out with her visions.” The raven-haired guy stated.

“You weren’t so creeped out when she saved my life from Victoria.” The brunette answered.

“That was different, Bella.” He commented. “It had to do with keeping you safe. I don’t get how making friends with some random blonde chick is going to be good for you.”

“You don’t see the whole picture, Jake.” Bella replied.

“Do you?” He asked curiously.

“Well… no… but Alice does and I trust her judgement.” Bella answered and Jake rolled his eyes.

“Trusting vamps was never on my bucket list.” He commented dryly.

“You’re just jaded.” Bella replied.

“Damn straight.” Jake retorted. “Do you blame me? We’ve been through hell and we had to move because that psycho vamp mob would’ve found us and killed us all… according to Alice.”

“She wasn’t wrong.” Bella replied.

“Maybe not but it sucks that all of us had to come here…” Jake motioned to the area around them. “I liked the weather in Forks.”

“I love the weather here.” Bella commented with a smile as she looked around.

“Of course you do, you’re with a vamp that feels like ice. I run hot, all the damn time.”

“The rest of the pack like it out here.” She added.

“Not the point.” He replied. “I miss my home.”

“Well so do I.” Bella retorted. “I miss my friends and my family. You forget that not everyone moved here.”

Her expression changed from happy to sad and her fiancé, Edward, was irritated that Jake caused her any emotional pain by bringing up the sore subject of their relocation. Her dad, Charlie, still lived in Forks, Washington. He couldn’t just pick up and leave his job as Sheriff at the drop of a hat. Jake saw the expression on her face and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Bella.” He stated quietly. “I keep forgetting that your parents didn’t move here.”

“It’s fine.” She brushed it off and tried to act as though it wasn’t a big deal, but it was and Edward knew it.

They walked closer to the house and she stopped abruptly and looked up at him while biting her lower lip.

“Do you want to come inside?” She asked warily.

He noticed, Edward, watching them from their bedroom window with a pronounced frown.

“Nah, I’m good.” Jake replied.

“Are you ever going to come inside?”

“Who knows?” He commented and was about to turn and walk away when Bella gently grabbed his arm.

“You okay?” She asked quietly.

“Nope but at least we’re still friends.” He mumbled and gently removed her hand from his arm and walked away.

She sighed and walked into the house.

“He’ll come around eventually.” Alice stated assuredly while she met Bella in the hall.

“When?” Bella asked.

“Sooner than later.” Alice smiled.

“So you don’t know.” Bella commented and sighed.

“I don’t know every detail but once you become friends with Nikki it will be easier for him.”

“Why?” Bella asked.

“Because she will be a good distraction for him and vice versa.”

“Distraction?”

“Not now.” Alice replied. “I’ll elaborate more at a later time.”

“Can you at least tell me when we’re going to become friends with her?” Bella asked, frustrated.

“Very soon.” Alice commented. “The timing has changed a couple of times but I’m pretty sure by next week at the latest.”

“That is soon.”

“But she’s going to meet _you_ first.” Alice added. “We don’t see her until a little bit later.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated.” Alice remarked with a grim expression.

“Where do I meet up with her?” Bella asked.

“I’m not going to divulge that or it could manipulate the timeline. Let’s just say that you will meet her during one of your regular trips into town.”

“You’ve seen a lot more than you’re telling any of us.” Bella commented.

“Sometimes less is more.” Alice replied. “And there are some things that are not my business to disclose.”

“Fair enough.” Bella commented.

She left the room and walked upstairs to see Edward who hadn’t moved from his stance by the window.

“Hi.” She smiled and walked over to him.

He gave her a hug and a kiss but continued to stare out the window. She followed his line of sight and sighed. Jake was in the distance, pacing back and forth, and kept looking at the house.

“What is he doing?” She asked curiously.

“Pining for you as usual.” Edward commented, annoyed.

“Edward!” Bella frowned. “Don’t be so insensitive. You know how hard it must be for him to see us together.”

“It’s hard to be empathetic when his thoughts are so brazen and downright antagonistic.”

“How would you be if you were in his shoes?” She asked.

“Probably worse.” He sighed.

“Then cut him some slack.”   
“Fine.” He replied. “So… Alice said you saw Nikki today.”

“I thought it was her.” Bella smiled. “She seems nice.”

“According to Alice’s vision, she’s remarkably kind and compassionate, enough so that you would think she’s a Canadian.”

“Well there isn’t anything wrong with that.” Bella replied.

“What? The former or the latter?” He teased.

“Both.” Bella smiled and gave him a playful push.

“I suppose not.” He grinned. “Besides, according to Alice, she’s been through a lot and could use a genuinely familial alternative.”

“That bad?” Bella asked curiously.

“The picture I saw from Alice’s thoughts wasn’t pretty. She has suffered many losses.”

“Did Alice say anything about a boyfriend?” Bella asked curiously.

“There is someone prominent in her life but Alice didn’t get a picture of him personally, only several acquaintances.”

“We’ll find out soon enough I guess.” Bella replied.  
“We will indeed.” He smiled but his smile soon turned into a frown as he looked at the opposite side of the forest.

“What’s wrong now?” Bella asked.

“Rosalie.” Edward commented and rolled his eyes. “Is being her usual tempestuous self.”

“She’s not as bad as she used to be.” Bella commented.

“Not to you…” Edward replied.

“Remember… she lost a lot as well.” Bella responded. “Suffering affects everyone differently.”  
“She has so much to be thankful for.” Edward snapped. “She found love when many haven’t.” He looked at Jake again.

“Maybe Nikki will have a positive effect on her as well.” Bella replied expectantly.

“Hopefully.” Edward replied.

In the forest where Edward glanced, Rosalie, a very pretty blonde and her tall muscular partner, Emmett, were walking while she blew off some steam. She didn’t want their family to get any bigger than it already was. She felt it was an imposition and she didn’t want any interlopers. She finally made peace with Bella intruding into their lives but now possibly… another human? It annoyed her.

“I don’t see why we have to run a hostel for every human in distress.” She blurted angrily.

“Come on, Rose.” Emmett replied. “Give her a chance. Alice said you’re going to be chummy with her.”

“Yeah right.” Rosalie scoffed. “Me being friends with an annoying human.”

“Why do you assume she’ll be annoying?”

“Because she’ll be friends with Bella. She was infuriatingly codependent at first.”

“Not with us.” Emmett replied.

“Whatever.” Rosalie rolled her eyes.   
“Remember what Esme said.” Emmett warned her.

“Yeah, yeah—I know. I’ll be polite to the needy human. I wouldn’t want to rock the boat and make Carlisle angry.”

They continued walking and he shook his head. He couldn’t talk to her when she was in a mood, it was pointless. It was better to let her clear her head than to argue with her. He had a good feeling about my impending arrival but he wasn’t going to convince her of it. She would have to see it for herself.

Back at the house, Alice was busy preparing a guest room for my arrival. Her husband, Jasper, was helping her paint the room.

“You’re going to a lot of trouble for someone we haven’t met yet.” Jasper commented.

“Trust me, Jazz, you will love her. She’s going to bring so much life to our little family. She radiates peace, love and kindness like I’ve never seen before.”

“And you’re sure she’s human?” Jasper asked.

“I haven’t seen anything to suggest otherwise.” Alice replied.

“How much have you seen?”

“Enough.” Alice answered grimly.

“You never talk about it. Every other vision you’ve had you’ve told me about it in length.”

“It’s heartbreaking.” Alice replied. “She’s been through so much I can barely talk about it without feeling her pain.”

“I can sense it coming from you.” Jasper replied.

“She lost her parents, her aunts, uncles and her grandparents through one tragedy after another.”

“That’s oddly suspicious.” Jasper commented with a frown.

“Exactly.” Alice agreed. “I find it entirely too eerie that almost every member of her family has died.”

“Almost?” Jasper asked.

“She has a few cousins left but that’s it. They grew up together and they’re more like siblings.”

“Just the children were left alive?” Jasper asked with a furrowed brow.

“I didn’t think of it that way but yes—although they’re all adults now.”

“So every parental figure in their lives was wiped out.” Jasper stated grimly.

“Jazz?” Alice recognized his expression; the wheels were turning.

“It’s what the predators do; they systematically alienate the weak members of the herd when they’re the most vulnerable.”

“But most of the tragedies occurred when they were children… if they were being targeted why are they still alive?”

“Good question.” Jasper answered. “Because a feeling in my gut says this isn’t over.”

“What do you mean?” Alice was worried. Jasper didn’t make cryptic comments like that.

“You said you saw her joining our family through another set of traumatic circumstances, right?” Jasper asked.

“Yes but nothing like the tragedies of her fallen family members.”

“I can’t explain it but it seems like a dark cloud flows through their bloodline, almost like a curse.” Jasper commented.

“Whatever it is she will be safe with us.” Alice replied confidently. “I’m sure of it.”

“She will be safe with us.” Jasper nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

They continued decorating and renovating the room but Jasper remained quiet about me. Alice was already attached to me like I was her sister and he never saw anything like that during their entire relationship. Something in Alice’s vision made her act like we were blood relatives and he could tangibly feel the strength of that bond. If Alice loved me that much then he had to protect that relationship at all costs.

After we finished at the bookstore, Ryan helped Darien carry the books to a waiting taxi. Once they were loaded he turned and looked at me.

“Did you want to grab something to eat?”

I could see Darien frown but I didn’t care. I enjoyed Ryan’s company and it made me miss everyone else less.

“Sure.” I answered. “Where?”

“What about The Diamond Grill? They have great food.”

“They sound upscale…” I commented.

“It’s not pretentious if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No it’s not that.” I wasn’t sure why it bothered me, maybe I was just nervous since I hadn’t been out in a long time.

“I promise… you’ll love it.” He reassured me.

“Okay, sounds good to me.” I smiled. “I just have to drop off the books.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Ryan replied. “I’ll have a table ready for us.”

“Don’t you require a reservation?” Darien asked suspiciously.

“I know a guy that works there.” Ryan commented.

“I’ll text you when I’m on the way.” I replied.

Ryan nodded and helped me into the taxi. Darien frowned at him and got into the taxi once I was seated. We drove off and Ryan watched us until we were out of sight. He was definitely drawn to me. It was as though I had some kind of supernatural homing beacon that called out to him. It was pleasantly unsettling to both him and the darkness within. He never expected to get distracted from his original mission but ever since I bumped into him at the park that oddly fateful day; he had never been the same.

When we got back to the condo… boy did I ever get an earful.

“It’s absolutely inappropriate for you to be having dinner with another man.” Darien commented.

“We’re just friends.” I replied with a sigh.

“You belong to Eric.” He answered sternly.

“I _belong_ to _myself_ and Eric knows I have friends.”

“I don’t get a _friend_ vibe from him.” Darien retorted.

“I don’t give a crap!” I snapped. “You will not treat me like I’m a pet on a leash. I’m going to have dinner with my friend and that’s that!”

“Then I will accompany you!” Darien raised his voice.

I stormed off into the bedroom, lugging the bags of books with me. He tried to help me carry them but I brushed him off angrily.

“I’ll do it myself!”

When I was finished I slammed the bedroom door. I left the books on the floor by the wall and I turned the stereo on while I got ready for dinner. I knew that I had to dress up in something more than just jeans or shorts if the restaurant was upscale. It had been a while since I wore something nice to go anywhere. Eric always worked at night so we never ventured far from his estate. It felt nice to dress up. I wore a pretty blouse, elegant skirt, and a pair of stylish heels. I put my hair in a partial updo and let the curls fall down around my neck. I left the scarf in place since it matched the rest of the outfit. I put a bit of makeup on but otherwise kept it simple. I dug through my purse and found Ryan’s card. I entered his contact information into my cell phone and then sent him a text message.

_“On my way… should be there shortly.”_

_“See you soon.”_ He replied. 

I picked up my purse and left the room. Darien greeted me in the hall. He stared at my outfit and frowned.

“You look too appealing.” Darien stated disapprovingly.

“It’s a nice restaurant. I have to dress up. I’m not going to wear jeans and flip-flops.”

“I’m driving you there.” He stated firmly.

“Fine.” I sighed.

“And Landon will meet us there.”

“You’re not sitting with us.” I snapped. “I don’t care if you two have to watch over me from a distance but you will not humiliate me like a parent trying to keep a teenager from going out on a date. I’m a grown-ass woman and I can take care of myself!”

He didn’t reply but he got the point. We drove to the restaurant in silence. He pulled up to the curb where the valet opened the door and helped me out of the car. Darien gave the keys to the valet and followed me closely.

When I first entered the restaurant there was a waiting room full of people eagerly awaiting a seat but didn’t have a reservation. I didn’t see Ryan in there and I wondered where he was.

“Can I help you Miss?” A polite gentleman asked. “Do you have a reservation?” Oh crap.

“I’m not sure.” I replied, almost certain we didn’t. “I’m meeting someone here…”

“Under what name?” He asked while he studied a list.

“Ryan Goodwin?” I asked quietly as I remembered his last name from his business card.

“Oh yes.” The maître d smiled. “He’s expecting you. Right this way please.”

I turned to face Darien who got the hint not to follow me, and he didn’t. As I looked around I wondered how Ryan got a last minute reservation in such a posh restaurant. As we entered the dining room I got some curious glances from those already seated. We were just passing by a booth when I recognized Caleb and I immediately stopped. The second he noticed me he stood up and exited the booth to greet me while his friends stared at me curiously.

“Hi Caleb.” I smiled. “Fancy running into you here.”

He gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, which was unexpected but nice. He looked and smelled fabulous.

“You look beautiful.” He whispered.

“Um… you too.” I blushed.

“Ahem…” Reid cleared his throat to get our attention.

“Excuse me.” Caleb commented while frowning at Reid. “These are my friends Pogue, Tyler, and Reid.”

They each stood up and shook my hand.

“Nice to meet you.” I commented.

“Likewise.” Reid smirked. Tyler smiled, and Pogue nodded.  
“Are you meeting someone here?” Caleb asked.

“Yes, actually.” I nodded.

“Your boyfriend?” Tyler interjected.

“No… just a friend.” I smiled. Huh… so Caleb did tell them about Eric. “But I am running late.”

“Looking like that I bet he won’t care.” Reid quipped and Caleb frowned again. I chuckled. You had to like his candor.

“Um thanks?” I smiled. “I’ll see you later, Caleb.”

He nodded and smiled as I walked off with the considerably patient maître d. When I was out of sight Caleb smacked Reid in the arm.

“Stop trying to hit on her.” Caleb whispered angrily.

“She wasn’t offended.” Reid smirked.

“Not the point.” Caleb replied. “She has a boyfriend.”

“Maybe that’s why she stood you up.” Pogue added.

“Oh right… she was supposed to meet up with you earlier…” Tyler commented.

“Let it go.” Caleb replied sternly.

When I finally did get to Ryan’s table he stood up and arched his eyebrows.

“Wow. You look stunning.” He commented.

“Oh… thanks.” I blushed. “You too.” Ah crap. I just admitted he looked stunning and he smiled at the comment.

He was wearing a designer suit no doubt and it highlighted just how attractive he was. Maybe Darien was right, if I was attracted to Ryan it was inappropriate to be having dinner with him. As we sat down he arched an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” He asked curiously.

“Nothing. It just feels weird to be dressed up and out in a nice restaurant.” I replied and his smile faded.

“Your vamp boyfriend never took you out for dinner?”  
“Eric. His name is _Eric_.” I stated firmly.

“Eric—whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “He didn’t actually take you out on dates?”

Oh boy, when he put it that way he had a point. Eric never took me anywhere but in his defense we lived together and his estate had practically everything I needed.

“It’s complicated.” I replied. “He works nights.”

“Every night?” He asked skeptically but I didn’t answer. “He works every single night?” He pressed. Ouch.

“Well not exactly but he holds a position of great authority and has responsibilities, important responsibilities.”

“More important than taking you out for dinner or a movie once in a while?” Double Ouch.

While I had no doubt of Eric’s love for me, Ryan made some very good points. Damn it. Thankfully, our server interrupted his train of thought. He ordered a very expensive bottle of wine and an appetizer. It was a good thing I had cash in my wallet if we were going to split the bill.

“So…” He began in a gentler tone of voice. “I didn’t mean to start an argument.”

“You’re too blunt for your own good.” I replied. “You know exactly what to say to hit me in the emotional gut.”

“I’m not trying to.” He responded gently. “I’m kind of out of practice interacting with females.”

“I find that hard to believe. You’re very charming and charismatic, which is quite appealing I’m sure.”

“I didn’t say I was a monk; I just don’t have long conversations with women—present company excluded.”

“Oh.” I said. “You’re a player.”

“Ouch.” He commented. “Talk about hitting someone in the gut with honesty.”

“I wasn’t trying to offend you.” I replied apologetically.

“Likewise.” He said. “But the truth does hurt.”

“It does.” I agreed quietly.

The server returned with our appetizer and wine. Normally I didn’t drink alcohol but I wanted one right then to alleviate any awkwardness I felt. She poured wine into my glass and I began drinking right away.

“Let’s change the subject.” Ryan began again. “You said Eric has an important position… what does he do?”

“Um… I’m not sure I can divulge that.” I whispered.

“Why not?” He asked curiously. “I’m not going to tell anyone about your secret relationship.”

Wow. He didn’t mean to but that comment hit me hard and a tear fell down my cheek.

“Um… that sounded very different in my head.”

I shook my head and wiped the tear from my face. He had a point. Sure Eric’s employees knew that I was his human but nobody else, except Sookie, did. Our relationship was supposed to be off the radar and nobody was really allowed to find out that we were involved for my own safety but despite it all the secrecy hurt, nonetheless.

“Man… I’m being a jerk tonight.” He commented.

“Nope. You’re just being honest and your honesty is putting a spotlight on some very real deficiencies in my relationship.”

He reached over and touched my hand. This time we both felt our hands tingle when he touched mine but neither one of us let on any differently.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He stated earnestly.

“It’s okay.” I replied and reached for the wine.

I gulped back the rest of the glass and motioned for him to pour me another one. He complied without hesitation. I took a sip from it and nibbled on the appetizer. I wasn’t really hungry. I was emotionally torn and nothing but the wine provided a bit of relief. Despite his blatant honesty, Ryan’s company was refreshing. I missed regular human interactions.

The server came back to see if we wanted to order dinner and Ryan looked at me.

“I just need a few minutes to look over the menu.” I replied with a slight smile. She nodded politely and walked away.

“You don’t have to stay if you’re upset at me.” Ryan commented.

“I’m not upset with you, actually. I’m grateful for your honesty. Not everyone is that upfront.”

Before he could comment my cell phone began to ring. I looked at the display and frowned.

“Who is it?” Ryan asked, noticing my expression.

“Eric.”

“If it’s Eric, shouldn’t you be smiling?”

“Depends on the nature of the call… um… can you excuse me for a moment?”

“Sure.” He nodded.

“I shouldn’t be long.” I commented and quickly answered the phone. “Eric?”

“What the hell are you doing?” He yelled loud enough that Ryan overheard and arched his eyebrows.

“Eric, give me a minute…” I covered the phone. “I’ll be back shortly.” I commented to Ryan who nodded once.

I stood up and walked away. It was clear that Ryan wasn’t impressed. I made my way through the restaurant, dashing by Caleb’s table without even acknowledging them.

“Something’s wrong.” Caleb commented as he watched me rush by.

“Go see if you can help.” Pogue suggested.

“I don’t want to interrupt her.” Caleb replied.

“You’re being an idiot.” Reid commented. “Stop overanalyzing everything and see if she needs your help.”

“Never thought I’d say this but Reid is right.” Tyler added.

“Come on!” Reid commented. “I’m not that bad.”

“You can be…” Pogue added. “But Reid’s right go and see if she needs your help.”

Caleb got up and followed after me. I had just made it outside to see both Darien and who I could only assume was Landon staring at me with a frown. I glared at them and then finally addressed Eric.

“Okay, I can talk now.” I stated hesitantly.

“Answer my question!” Eric demanded angrily.

“I’m having dinner with a friend.” I replied carefully.

“You’re having dinner with another man!” Oh boy. “And you intentionally chose a restaurant where my employees cannot watch over you.”

Caleb had just walked outside to see if I was okay but I didn’t realize he was there. He studied my mannerisms and frowned at Darien and Landon who watched us both.

“Eric, I didn’t know it was one of those places… so stop overreacting!”

“You don’t tell me what to do! You are mine! You belong to me! You don’t go out for dinner with other men!” Ah shit.

“He’s just a friend!” I raised my voice.

“You belong to me!” He yelled.

“I’m not some glorified trophy that you can lock away except when you want to have sex! I’m a human being who needs friends and interactions with other people. Why the hell are you acting so jealous anyway?

“I’m not jealous! I own you and I demand that you go back to the condo right now.”

“Excuse me?” I was getting angrier by the second.

“You heard me!”

“I’m not going to leave my friend in the restaurant because you’re acting like a jealous jerk!”

“Obey me at once!” He yelled and that made my blood boil.

“Nobody fucking owns me!” I yelled at him and disconnected the call. “Unbelievable!”

“Nikki?” Caleb commented and caught my attention. I turned and looked behind me.

“Omigod! You heard that?” I was beyond embarrassed.

“It’s okay. I’m here if you need to talk.” He replied reassuringly.

My cell phone began ringing and I noticed it was Eric so I ignored it. It was at that point when Darien and Landon tried to take me to the car.

“It’s time to go.” Darien said and reached toward my arm.

“Like hell I’m going anywhere with either one of you!” I stated and took a step back.

My cell rang again and I was tempted to throw it on the ground. I looked at it expecting it to be Eric but it was Ryan.

“Hey.” I commented with forced calm.

“You okay?”

“Not so much.” I replied.

“I’ll be right out.” He began to say.

“No—it’s alright. I’ll be inside in a few moments.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” He replied and I ended the call. I turned my cell phone off so I wouldn’t be interrupted any further.

Darien and Landon were standing right in front of us and at that point Caleb took a protective stance in front of me, half blocking my view.

“You heard her.” Caleb stated firmly. “She’s staying.”

“Eric bids you to come with us!” Landon snapped.

“I don’t care! He’s acting like a jerk and I need to cool off!”

“Obey him at once!” Landon snapped again and his fangs darted out.

Oh boy. Caleb didn’t like that at all. He instinctively pulled me right behind him. He didn’t say anything but I almost felt something, like some kind of energy, roll off him in tangible waves. Landon’s eyes widened and he retracted his fangs. There had to be a threatening expression on Caleb’s face that was fierce enough for them to back off.

“Eric won’t like this.” Darien stated calmly.

“Tell it to someone who cares.” Caleb retorted.

“I don’t care. He yelled at me and I’m not going to apologize for having friends regardless how much it grates his nerves.”

“I will escort her back to the condo when she is ready to go.” Caleb stated firmly.

That seemed to momentarily appease them and they walked away. As soon as they were gone he turned to face me.

“You okay?” He asked as he looked down at me.

“Not really.” I replied quietly.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He replied but I didn’t respond. “Nikki?”

“I know.” I mumbled.

“You are not his property and if you’re not allowed to have friends there is something seriously wrong with your relationship.”

“That’s what Ryan said.”

“Ryan?”

“My friend inside the restaurant.”

“Then he’s right.” Caleb replied grimly.

I sighed. I didn’t want to face the stone-cold reality that maybe my attachment to Eric wasn’t a healthy one.

“Is Ryan going to bring you home?” Caleb asked curiously.

“I think so.” I replied.

“If for some reason he doesn’t, I will.”

“Thanks.” I forced a smile.

“Come on… I will walk you back inside.”

I walked back inside with Caleb. We got some curious glances as we passed by the seated patrons but I tried to ignore them. When we got to his table the guys stood up anxiously.

“You okay?” Reid asked.

“Everything alright?” Pogue asked.

“Um yeah…” I stammered.

“You sure?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine now.” I replied and looked up at Caleb. “I have to get back to my friend but thanks.” He nodded.

“I’ll check in on you later.” He commented and I nodded.

I nodded at the guys and walked away towards the next room where Ryan was waiting for me. When I was out of earshot the guys looked at Caleb expectantly.

“What the hell happened?” Reid asked.

“Her boyfriend is a jackass.” Caleb replied angrily.

“And?” Tyler asked.

“And nothing.” Caleb added. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

When I finally got back to the table Ryan stood up and walked over to me.

“You had me worried.” He replied quietly. “I heard what he said. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” I mumbled.

“Bullshit.” He commented.

“I will be okay. Right now I want you to take my mind off of it.”

“Done.” He nodded and pulled my chair out for me so I could sit down.

“I’m sorry.” I stated quietly.

“ _You_ have nothing to apologize for.” He stated firmly. “But Eric certainly does.”

“You’re not wrong.” I mumbled.

I drank another glass of wine and I reached for the bottle to refill my glass but he gently put a hand on mine to stop me.

“Maybe you should eat a bit more first.” He commented.

“Good idea.” I nodded and pulled my hand back slowly.

Normally he wouldn’t have a problem with his date becoming intoxicated because then it meant he wouldn’t have to engage in any meaningful conversation later on but I was more than a date—hell more like a friend and that was something he wasn’t accustomed to. I studied his perplexed expression.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing.” He forced a smile.

“You’re really not used to having a normal friendship with a woman, are you?”

“Way to hit the nail on the head.” He commented.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.” I smirked and he laughed.

The server returned at that moment and we finally ordered dinner. We stayed a lot longer than we originally planned but I didn’t care. I needed to unwind after the fight with Eric and I was very comfortable in Ryan’s presence. I sensed we had an unusual bond. Neither one of us was accustomed to having regular friendships but nor did we reveal to each other the reason behind it. We were both carefully guarded about our past almost as though we would scare the other one off if we found out the truth. I could tell that he felt uncomfortably vulnerable but then again so did I. I was in an unfamiliar city isolated from my family and friends and Ryan seemed like the only oasis in my desert. Well not the only one, Caleb also provided some relief from my exile.

“You’re quiet.” Ryan stated while we ate our dinner.

“I have a lot on my mind.”

“No doubt.” He replied. “It’s been an interesting evening.”

“It certainly has.”

“I haven’t scared you off, have I?” He smirked.

“Hello! I’m used to the erratic behaviour of vampires. You’re a treat.” I grinned and that made him laugh.

We continued eating and I drank a few more glasses of wine. When we finished just prior to the waitress coming over and bringing us the bill he looked at me with a serious expression.

“What are you going to do?” He asked quietly.

“About Eric?” I asked and he nodded once. “I don’t know.” I replied. “You brought up some major points tonight and I can’t ignore them, though I wish I could.”

“Why would you want to ignore them?”

“Because it felt like for once I had something good in my life.” I replied quietly and his brow furrowed.

“What do you mean?” He asked earnestly.

“Don’t worry about it.” I shook my head. “It’s a heavy topic and I don’t want to get into it tonight.”

“Rain check?” He asked sincerely.

“I wouldn’t want to bore you.” I joked.

“You’re anything but boring.” He smiled.

“Let’s just say I’ve had a very complicated life.” I replied hesitantly.

“But you’re not going to elaborate.” He surmised.

“Not now.” I replied. “Perhaps later…”

“Okay.” He nodded slightly.

Our waitress put the bill in front of him and I reached for it but he put a hand on mind and shook his head.

“My treat.”

“I have money.”

“I bet you do.” He smirked. “But I insist.”

“Um… okay.” I mumbled and pulled my hand away.

“No strings attached.” He added when he noticed my expression.

“Okay.” I smiled slightly. He paid for the meal and then looked at me curiously.

“What now?” He asked.

“I don’t now.”

“You don’t want to go back home, do you?”

“Not really… and for the record… it’s not my home.”

“Where are you from?” He asked curiously.

“Bon Temps.” I replied quietly.

He recognized that name. He wasn’t sure why or how but he had heard of that town.

“Then why are you here?” He asked curiously. “Aside from avoiding your psycho ex.”

“I can’t get into it, not here....” I shook my head.

“If you’re so unhappy here then why stay? You could relocate to another city with your cousin...”

“I have a few cousins actually, but I don’t want to drag them into this… it’s a long story.”

“You’re being extremely evasive.”

“I told you before that it’s best if you don’t get involved.”

“I can take care of myself.” He replied.

“I believe you.” I smiled slightly and he sighed.

“Maybe one of these days you can actually let your guard down and elaborate more on your cryptically complicated life.”

“Maybe.” I smiled. “If you’re up for the challenge.”

“I’m up for any challenge you throw at me.” He smirked and that made me smile.

“I guess I should go.”

“But I thought you didn’t want to go home—I mean back to your place?”

“I don’t but I have nowhere else to go.”

“You can come to my place.” He stated without thinking.

“I think that’s a bit inappropriate.” I replied. “Considering everything.”

“I told you no strings attached.” He added. “I have a guest room and you can stay there.”

It was tempting. Too tempting. Maybe it was the wine; I drank more than I originally intended and eating dinner didn’t prevent the effects from taking hold. If I went over to Ryan’s place, even with the right intentions, I had a feeling my moral compass would go out the window, especially considering Eric’s earlier antics. Ryan was too alluring for his own good.

“I appreciate the invitation but I have to decline.”

“You and that moral compass.” He teased.

“Can’t help it.” I smiled.

“But in all seriousness… if you need a place to go the invitation remains open.” He was sincere.

“Thank you.” I put a hand on his. “That means a lot.”

I stood up abruptly and he followed suit. We began to leave the restaurant and on the way I looked for Caleb and his friends but they weren’t at their table. Ryan noticed and arched an eyebrow.

“Looking for someone?” He asked curiously.

“Caleb was here with his friends earlier.” I replied.

“Oh?” Ryan replied and tensed immediately but I didn’t notice.

“Caleb followed me outside when he noticed I was upset.” He stopped walking and looked down at me.

“You mean when you were on the phone with Eric?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “He prevented an altercation with my bodyguards.”

“Bodyguards?” He asked. “Plural?”

“I have two now.” I replied. “A human during the day and a vampire at night.”

“Why would Caleb have to step in to prevent an altercation?” He asked with a furrowed brow.

“Eric… um… he wanted me to just leave you here… abruptly without any notice.”

“Excuse me?” He was angry.

“Not now.” I commented and looked around.

We may have been partially in between the dining rooms in a small foyer but people were beginning to stare at us. I motioned for him to follow me outside and he did. We hadn’t even stepped out the front door when within seconds Caleb and his friends walked over right away. Ryan immediately stood in front of me.

“What do you want?” He demanded and they looked at him curiously.

“We know each other.” Caleb stated calmly as he approached us.

“Ryan—it’s fine, this is Caleb and his friends. They studied him curiously but they relaxed within seconds.

“Oh. Sorry.” Ryan commented and relaxed his stance. “I thought you were her psycho bodyguards.”

“Nope. We’re not psycho.” Reid replied.

“You’re Nikki’s friend...?” Tyler commented.

“Uh… yeah.” Ryan replied with an arched eyebrow.

“Excuse them…” Caleb replied and then introduced them to Ryan. He looked over at me. “I was worried about you.”

Ryan could sense that Caleb cared about me more than just a friend and watched our interaction curiously.

“I’m fine.” I replied.

“You need to ditch your vamp.” Reid interjected.

“Reid…” Tyler shook his head.

“He’s right.” Ryan agreed.

“He’s too possessive.” Pogue added.

“Vampires are like that.” Tyler interrupted. “They don’t like to share certain humans.”

“No… this is different.” Caleb stated grimly.

“I agree.” Ryan nodded once.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I replied, finally. “I just need to clear my head.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Caleb looked at his friends and they calmed down. “Do you need a ride home?”

“I’ve got that covered.” Ryan replied but Caleb waited for my answer.

“I don’t want to go back right now…” I mumbled and Ryan looked at his watch.

“It’s still fairly early. We can go wherever you want.”

Reid studied Ryan. There was something about him that seemed off but he didn’t know what it was.

“Why don’t we just go back to Caleb’s?” Reid added. “That way you’re close to home and you can stay as long as you want.”

Ryan had to keep from frowning at Reid. He had the distinct feeling that Reid was trying to interfere but he wasn’t sure why.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Tyler commented.

“What is it with you guys? I’m not that bad.” Reid replied and they laughed.

“What do you think?” Pogue asked me and I looked up at Caleb.

“It’s up to you.” Caleb replied. “No pressure from us.” I looked over at Ryan.

“Or me…” Ryan added quickly.

“Well… it would be easier if I was only downstairs from my condo.” I responded.

I suddenly swayed where I stood and Ryan steadied me by putting an arm around my shoulders.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Ryan added.

“I guess so.” Reid replied. “You’re drunk.”

“Not exactly.” I mumbled.

“Seems like it to me.” Tyler commented and Pogue nodded.

“Good thing I made you eat something.” Ryan teased. “Or you’d be in worse shape.”

“Maybe we should take her from here.” Caleb stated. “Seeing as though she lives in our building.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ryan nodded. Inwardly, he wanted to punch him for interfering.

Caleb reached his hand toward me and I grabbed it without hesitation and held on for a moment. I looked up at Ryan.

“Thanks for dinner and being brutally honest.”

“Anytime.” Ryan smiled.

“Brutally honest about what?” Reid asked.

“Basically about how her vamp treats her like a pet.” Ryan answered coldly.

“He’s not wrong.” Tyler agreed.

“It’s not the time to discuss this.” Caleb replied and frowned at them.

“He’s right though.” Pogue added.

“Whether he’s right or wrong there are more appropriate venues for that discussion.” Caleb stated firmly.

“He’s right.” Ryan nodded once and I kept staring up at him with a slight grin. “You should get going before you puke or pass out. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I mumbled.

“If something major happens, my number is in her cell.” Ryan stated as he looked at Caleb.

Caleb nodded once and Ryan walked away. When he was out of sight Caleb looked down at me.

“Are you okay to walk?”

“Maybe?” I mumbled and he grinned.

He put an arm around my waist and my arm around his shoulder. The guys followed us toward the Hummer that the valet had just parked at the curb. Reid opened the front passenger door and Caleb helped me inside before closing the door behind me.

“I’m driving.” Reid stated firmly.

“It’s my car.” Tyler protested.

“Just get in the back and stop whining.” Pogue replied.

They shuffled into the Hummer while Caleb got into the back seat with me. They didn’t say much on the way back to the condo. I was barely awake. My eyelids fluttered open and closed a few times. I leaned against him and he put an arm around me to make sure I didn’t fall over. Pogue smirked when he noticed this but didn’t say anything. When we finally got there Caleb helped me out of the Hummer and steadied me by putting his arm around my waist again. Reid parked the Hummer and once he returned we walked into the building with the guys flanking us. I half expected Eric to be waiting for me but thankfully he wasn’t. I could feel through the blood tie that he was angry, which meant one way or another the shit was going to hit the fan. In the elevator I leaned against Caleb’s chest and held onto him for balance. The guys smirked amongst themselves but didn’t say a thing. When the elevator doors opened I was just about to walk in the hall when I became dizzy and almost lost my balance. Caleb caught me and then picked me up into his arms. Pogue unlocked the door to the condo and Caleb carried me inside while the others followed after us. He walked down the main hall toward the guest room and Reid opened the door for him. Caleb gently put me on the bed and covered me with a blanket. He motioned for the guys to leave the room and they did without making a noise, he took one quick glance at me and then shut the door behind him before going into his living room.

“What are you going to do?” Pogue asked curiously.

“I’m going to wait until she wakes up and see what she wants to do.” Caleb replied.

“What the hell is it with vamps?” Reid snapped. “Why do they have to be such dicks?”

“There’s more to this than we’re aware of.” Caleb replied.

“How do you know?” Tyler asked.

“Just a feeling I get.” Caleb responded. “He’s a formidable vampire with an entourage at his disposal and he’s expending a lot of energy to protect her and keep her off the grid.”

“He’s a jackass.” Reid interjected.

“He lacks people skills, yes.” Caleb commented. “But he’s paranoid about her safety and an ancient vampire like him would be strong enough to deal with potential threats.”

“What do you think is really going on?” Pogue asked.

“I don’t know. She won’t say anything but remember the trace residue of that spell that lingered from her that I told you about?”

“Yeah, did you find out more about it?” Reid asked.

“No but it’s gone.” Caleb replied.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Tyler asked.

“I’m not sure what it means.” Caleb replied. “The effects of it were faint and while I don’t think it was on her personally, she was in contact with someone it resonated off of.”

“What about Ryan?” Reid asked with a frown.

“No.” Caleb shook his head. “He seems legit. He’s protective of her—but he’s not a threat.”

“Do you think the spell is on her vamp?” Pogue asked.

“No idea. Until we actually meet him we have no way of knowing.”

On the other side of the city, Ryan was pacing back and forth in his living room while he was on the phone with one of his associates, Holden.

“I need you to look into something for me.” He stated abruptly.

“What do you need?”

“I need some information about a woman named Nikki and her cousin Jason from Bon Temps.”

“What do you want to know?” Holden asked.

“Anything you can tell me, in detail.”

“Last name?” Holden replied.

“Huh—I actually don’t know but it shouldn’t matter. Bon Temps is small and three cousins in the same town shouldn’t be hard to find.”

“True.”

“Oh… and something else.” Ryan added.

“Go ahead.”

“Get me a list of vampires over a thousand years old.”

“Are you looking for any vampire in particular?”

“I only have a first name and that’s Eric…” Ryan replied.

“I’ll email you the information once I have it.” Holden stated.

“Good.” Ryan replied and disconnected the call.

Back at Caleb’s condo…

I was dreaming. I had to be.

_I was walking in a heavily forested area with the beautiful raven-haired guy. I couldn’t hear the conversation at first, it felt like someone forgot to turn up the volume in my head but he was smiling at me and I was happy. I had a peace I never felt before. He abruptly stopped walked and looked down at me._

_“What’s wrong?” I asked curiously._

_“Nothing.” He leaned down and kissed me gently while putting a hand on the side of my face. “I love you, Nik.”_

_“I love you too, Jake.” I replied elated._

_The dream suddenly shifted to a completely different scenario. I was trying to find Eric but nobody knew where he was. His associates were extremely vague and kept trying to prevent me from going to Fangtasia but somehow I found a way to sneak in through the backdoor and made a beeline to his office. The door wasn’t locked and I opened it slowly and quietly. It was dimly lit and I was going to call out his name but I could hear his moans and the moans of an unfamiliar female voice cut through the silence. My heart felt like it broke into a million little pieces as I followed the sound around the corner of his office to his private sex den. I saw him screwing the brains out of some blonde. He stopped abruptly once he sensed my presence and he turned around to look at me. A guilty expression appeared on his face and tears fell down my cheeks. I ran out of the room and slammed the door behind me_.

It jolted me awake and I slowly sat up. Caleb burst into the room right at that moment.

“Are you okay?” He asked urgently while I put a hand on my head.

“Um…I guess.” I mumbled and looked around the room.

“You’re in my guest room.” He stated calmly.

“What time is it?” I asked curiously.

“It’s 1:30 am.” He replied.

“Why do you look so worried?” I asked, noting the expression on his face.

“You sounded like you were having a nightmare.”

“I did?” I asked.

“You screamed Eric’s name and you sounded like you were in pain.”

“Oh. It was just a silly dream.” I replied and brushed it off entirely.

“Who’s Jake?” He asked curiously.

“What?” I asked, clueless.

“You mumbled something about loving Jake.”

“Weird.” I commented. “I don’t know anyone named Jake.”

“That is strange.” He said.

“My dreams have been off the charts lately.”

Before he could reply I heard a gentle knocking sound. He turned and faced the direction of the sound.

“Are you expecting company?” I asked.

“Not this late.” He said quietly. “The guys went home a while ago.”

“You don’t have to answer it but it could be the bodyguards checking on me.”

I stood up and almost lost my balance. He grabbed my arm to help steady me.

“I’m not going to answer it if your boyfriend is going to start yelling at you again.”

“It’s not Eric.” I replied. “If it was I’d feel it through the blood tie.”

Caleb sighed. He heard of vampires that created ties with humans to manipulate and track them. He wasn’t happy that Eric formed one with me. Every human he knew that had a blood tie to a vampire usually ended up being adversely affected by it.

“Why would they be checking on you at 1:30 am?” Caleb asked angrily.

“Because vampires are paranoid about the humans in their charge.”

“They can go to hell.” Caleb commented.

“Until recently, they haven’t been such colossal asshats.” I commented.

The knock became louder and I walked out of the spare room toward the front door with Caleb hot on my heels. He quickly stepped in front of me before I reached the door and he looked out the peephole. A blonde woman with a lot of makeup dressed in a corset and a long skirt was standing there impatiently with her arms crossed.

“For fuck sake.” She snapped. “I know you’re there. I can smell you.”

Caleb opened the door but stood in front of me, blocking me from her view.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?” He asked annoyed.

“I’m Eric’s second in command and I’m here to make sure Nikki hasn’t run off with the circus.”

I peaked around Caleb and he slowly moved aside but wouldn’t let me cross the doorway.

“I’m fine, Pam.” I replied.

“You hung up on Eric and ignored his calls.”

“He’s being a jackass.” I retorted. “Ordering me around like I’m his slave.”

“I’m sure he’s sorry about that—which you would know if you answered your damn phone.”

“I needed to cool off, besides, why the hell is he acting so jealous anyway? We sorted out everything.”

“I know.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started on his recently developed co-dependency on you.”

Caleb arched an eyebrow; vampires weren’t so affected by their humans whether they had a blood tie or not. The fact that he was an older vampire and developed an odd tie to me that surprised his second in command was curious. Caleb watched us but didn’t make any effort to invite her inside and I took the hint. Apparently, she did too because she arched an eyebrow at him but he crossed his arms.

“Are you coming or what?” Pam asked impatiently.

“Pardon?” I frowned.

“Obviously I’m here to get you.”

“And take me where, exactly?”

“Upstairs, where do you think?” She answered, annoyed.

“Eric’s not there so why bother?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does, actually.” I replied. “I don’t want to be near Landon.”

“She’s not going anywhere until she’s good and ready.” Caleb interjected, firmly.

“What are you?” She asked Caleb.

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked angrily.

“Landon felt threatened earlier and that doesn’t happen to vampires unless we’re faced with something more powerful than we are.” I looked up at Caleb curiously.

“ _Landon_ bared his fangs at Nikki and I wasn’t happy about it.”

“Clearly—which is why he said you went all demonic on his ass.”

“Demonic?” I almost laughed. “You’re kidding, right? I don’t get anything close to that kind of vibe from Caleb.”

“Well, he’s something more than human.” She retorted and I looked at Caleb who shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not intimidated by vampires or anything else that’s of the supernatural persuasion.” Caleb replied.

“Apparently.” Pam replied.

“I’ve had to take certain precautions to protect myself and the ones I care about from the likes of those who would seek to manipulate or destroy us. I’m not going to apologize for it either.” Caleb replied firmly.

“Nor should you have to.” I interjected and then looked at Pam. “Look… you can tell Eric I need to cool off and I don’t feel like talking to him right now. I will stay off the grid and make sure that I don’t get into any trouble but I just don’t feel like going up to the condo right this moment.”

“So you’re just going to spend the night with random men?” She arched an eyebrow. “That’s not like you.”

“It’s not like that at all.” I replied. “Caleb is my friend and secondly he felt like he had to intervene when it appeared that Landon threatened my safety. I know that all of you are obsessed with protecting me from the Queen but I’m going to lose it if I can’t have normal friendships and go out of the condo.” Pam sighed and put a hand on her hips.

“Eric’s going to be pissed.” She replied.

“Then let him be pissed.” Caleb retorted but I gently tapped his arm.

“Can you give me a moment?” I asked Caleb.

“Sure…” He frowned. “But don’t invite her inside.”

“I won’t.” I replied and he walked down the hall and around the corner.

“Charming.” Pam replied sarcastically.

“You can tell Eric that I’m not sure what’s up his ass but I’m not going to be treated like his glorified sex slave.”

“You are much more than that.” She replied. “Believe me.”

“I’m sure I am but he has managed to humiliate me in front of my friends. I’m trying to stay off the grid but now he’s put me in a position that I have to try to explain his behaviour without divulging the details of my exile.”

“You do have a point.” She sighed unhappily.

“And I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be able to slip away at a moment’s notice to visit me and sort this out.”

“True…”

“So can you just cut me some slack and let me resolve this from a human perspective that he’s obviously ignorant of?”

“You’re more intelligent and braver than I gave you credit for.” She smirked.

“I do have my moments.” I smirked.

“Be careful.” She replied. “Your friend in there is very powerful.”

“I doubt he’d ever hurt me.” I replied.

“It’s not him that I would be worried about.” She replied. “If he’s had to protect himself from undesirable supernaturals then he might make you a target for one of them.”

“Duly noted.” I nodded.

“I’ll pass on your message to Eric.” She stated. “But don’t expect him to be happy about it. You know what he’s like when he doesn’t get his own way.”

“Boy, do I ever.” I rolled my eyes and she smirked at my response.

She used her super speed to leave and I closed the door. I stood there for a moment and sighed. I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation I was going to have with Eric when he finally did visit.

“You’re worried.” Caleb stated from the end of the hall. I turned to face him.

“I’m not worried about Eric’s reaction if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Why are you worried then?” He asked and I walked down the hall and looked up at him.

“How about we make a deal?” I asked. “What if I tell you the reason why and you enlighten me about these precautions you’ve taken against supernatural creatures?” He studied my expression for a moment and sighed.

“I don’t think it would do you any good if I told you.”

“Ditto.” I replied. “But you can trust me not to blab it to everyone.”

“I’ve researched various methods how to defend myself.” He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

“You lost someone, didn’t you?” I asked carefully as I took a seat beside him.

“Is it that obvious?” Caleb asked.

“No, but someone who has suffered a loss can read between the lines to recognize when someone else has.”

“You lost someone?” He asked and I winced.

“I’ve lost several people I love.” I replied.

“Several?” His brow furrowed.

“My parents, my aunts and uncles, and my grandparents—most recently my Gran who took care of my cousins and I from the time we were kids.” I replied.

His brow furrowed at the comment. For me to lose almost all of my family was not coincidental, it was suspicious.

“How did they die?” He asked.

“My parents died in a house fire, one aunt and uncle died in a flash flood and the other aunt and uncle just disappeared without a trace. My Granddaddy also disappeared without a trace and my Gran…” I trembled when I recalled what happened. “She was murdered several months ago.”

“Wow.” He put a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve learned to adapt.”

“It doesn’t take away from the trauma you experienced.”

“True but I can’t focus on it or I won’t be able to cope.” I replied.

“It explains a lot.” He replied.

“About what?” I asked curiously.

“About your relationship with Eric.” Ouch.

“Maybe you’re right.” I nodded once. “What about you? Who did you lose?”

“My fiancée.”

“Wow yourself.” My eyes bulged. “I’m so sorry.”

“She was killed by a vampire.”

“Oh… um… wow. No wonder you hate them.”

“I don’t like them or trust them but I don’t hate them.”

“Did you find the vampire who did it?”

“No. She got away.”

“She?” I arched my eyebrows. “A _female_ vampire killed your fiancée?”

“That shocks you?”

“Yes, it’s been my experience that the vilest vampires are male.”

“The blonde vamp doesn’t give off an empathetic vibe.”

“Pam leaves a lot to be desired but she won’t hurt me.”

“You’re certain?”

“I’m positive.”

“Because of Eric?”

“Yes. He would take her head off.”

“What’s his story? Why is he hiding you out here anyway?”

“You won’t like the answer.”

“I don’t like what’s happened to you thus far.”

“He is the Sheriff of Louisiana. He has a Queen that he must submit to and for some reason she found out about me and she wants me to be a part of her entourage.”

“Why? What is it about you that makes you a target for the nefarious?”

“You can’t tell anyone.” I stated quietly.

“Obviously.” He nodded once.

“I kind of have precognitive abilities.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how or why but I either have dreams or visions—and they come true.”

“Can you tell the difference between a regular dream and a premonition?”

“Yes. There’s a unique sensation I get.”

“And this ability gives your blood an uncommon aroma and taste to vampires?”

“Yes.”

“This is why Eric is obsessed with you.”

“No… he’s obsessed with protecting me. He has gone to great lengths to ship me away from everything and everyone I know so that he doesn’t have to give me to her.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean so he won’t _have_ to give you to her?”

“He has to submit to a vampire hierarchy that he nor I have control over. If he doesn’t comply he can be stripped of his title, lose everything he has, and be severely reprimanded.”

“He must love you very much.” It clear that it was hard for Caleb to admit this.

“He does but he’s still getting used to having his humanity resurface and that makes him rough around the edges.”

“It certainly explains a lot about his behaviour earlier.”

“It does but I’m still not going to put up with it.” I replied.

“Good.” He smiled. “So… the dreams you had earlier tonight?”

“They were weird for sure but I’m not worried.” I brushed it off. “I’ve been through a hell of a lot and it makes sense that my subconscious would try to get some things out.”

“I’m sorry for your losses.” He said with a grim expression.

“Same here.” I replied.

“What kind of gift does your cousin have?” Oh right… I forgot to tell him about that.

“She’s a telepath.” I replied.

“Wow.” He replied. “That would be handy.”

“Not really.” I answered. “Imagine being able to hear everyone’s thoughts all the time?”

“That could get annoying.” He replied.

“Yes and that’s why she’s dating a vampire. She doesn’t hear their thoughts.”

“Oh really?” He asked. “Is that something you’re privy to?”

“Not really. I get a strong inclination about things like a sixth sense but I can’t hear anyone’s thoughts. Once it happened when I first formed a blood tie with Eric but then it went away. I’m not sure why.”

“It’s probably for the best anyway. You don’t want to hear half the crap that goes on in a vampire’s mind.”

“You’re right about that.” I replied. “Especially some of the ones he interacts with.”

“What are you going to do?” Caleb asked.

“I’m going to have a nice, long talk with Eric about his behaviour. Ryan raised some very pertinent points and as hard as it was for me to hear them, I have to address them.”

“Such as…?”

“His possessive behaviour for one. I won’t have him treating me like a pet. I know he’s trying to protect me but I’m not stupid and if something is going to affect me in a major way I will get a vision of it. Secondly, I hate the secrecy surrounding our relationship. We should be able to go on normal dates in public and not be afraid that someone will see us.”

“Now that is for your benefit, I’m sure.”

“I know.” I sighed. “It’s all about hiding me in case the Queen has a scout out here somewhere…but I don’t have any kind of tie to this place. It has nothing to do with me at all and as far as I know it’s off the books where he’s concerned. Nobody knows he has a condo here.”

“I have to side with him on this.” Caleb replied, surprisingly. “We’re not talking about some random guy trying to track you down. We’re talking about a vampire Queen with authority and connections that you may not know anything about. Her reach can extend as far as she wants it to. His paranoia is justified to a certain degree.”

“I guess.” I hesitantly acknowledged.

“As for the behaviour—he definitely needs to brush up on common courtesy, respect, and consideration. He’s been out of touch with his humanity for too long.”

“Agreed.” I replied.

“You love him.” He replied after staring at me for a moment. “A lot.”

“Yes and believe me, I fought against it with all my might.”

“Why?” He asked curiously.

“I’ve had bad luck with relationships in the past. I found it easier to stay alone rather than end up unhappy.”

“Just because you haven’t met a nice guy doesn’t mean you’re better off alone.” Caleb replied. “It just means you didn’t meet someone who was right for you.”

“True… I guess… but it’s a moot point now anyway because Eric wore me down.”

“Pardon?”

“The tenacity of a vampire. I brushed him off, very rudely I might add, and he just didn’t give up.”

“He continued to pursue you regardless?”

“Not exactly. He kept tabs on me to make sure I was safe. He found out about Gran and he sent me flowers. He began to do things that were uncharacteristic of a vampire… it won me over eventually.”

“He kept tabs on you?” Caleb didn’t like that.

“He knew I was special; he just wasn’t sure what it was about me that made me special, but he had make sure I was safe.”

“Well if I cared about someone—it’s what I would do.” Caleb replied warily.

“Is your fiancée the reason you moved here to get a fresh start?” I asked curiously. “Or are you trying to track the vampire that killed her?”

“Both, I guess.” He admitted. “But there is another reason.”

“Which is…?”

“We’re also trying to track the whereabouts of an archenemy that we think was behind the whole thing and who previously put Pogue and his girlfriend, Kate, in the hospital.”

“Ugh. I don’t get how sick and twisted some people can be.” I commented. “What is the name of this nemesis? Maybe I could ask Eric if he’s heard about him…”

“He might have heard about him; he’s a very powerful warlock and his lineage goes way back.”

“What?” My eyes bulged. “Like the Voldemort kind of warlock?” He smiled slightly.

“Yes, I think that nickname suits him.” Caleb replied. “And his name is Chase Collins.”

“I’ll ask Eric if he’s heard of him.” I replied. “You know… after we clear the air about a few things.”

“Thanks.” Caleb replied.

“It’s okay.” I commented. “I get it. I understand about wanting revenge.”

“What about the guy who murdered your Gran?” He asked.

“Sookie killed him in self-defence.”

“What?” It was his eyes that bulged.

“He was a vampire hater and he had been murdering anyone who had close contact with them. He killed two waitresses that Sookie worked with, one of which was an acquaintance of mine. He framed her brother, my cousin, Jason for the murders, and then killed Gran. We found out all too late who it was and that was after he tried to kill Sookie.”

“I’m so sorry.” He put a hand on my arm.

“Me too.” I replied. “But whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, I guess.”

“There’s nothing wrong with grieving the ones you lost.”

“I did, I still do… it’s just that… if I let myself get caught up in it, I’ll be overcome by it and it will leave me far too vulnerable.”

“There’s nothing wrong with vulnerability.”

“There is if it will put your head on the chopping block.”

“What makes you think that will happen?”

“Because I’m caught up in the midst of vampires and other supernatural beings. I have to stay vigilant.”

“Good point.” He considered it for a moment. “But you can stay vigilant and keep an open heart.”

“I guess.”

We probably could have spent hours talking to each other and spilling out our tragic past but I was fighting to stay awake and he noticed. He excused himself for a moment and then walked out of the living room and down the hall. I didn’t want to go to Eric’s condo, not yet. It was nice having some freedom and not being monitored everywhere I went. Caleb interrupted my thoughts by walking back into the living room holding onto a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

“You can wear these if you want to go to sleep. I get the impression you don’t want to go back upstairs.”

“Very perceptive.” I nodded once and he placed them into my hands.

“They’ll probably be big on you but at least you’ll be more comfortable. I put out some fresh towels and toiletries in the ensuite guest bathroom.”

“I appreciate that, thank you.”

“No problem.” He smiled. “I’ll leave you to it then.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “If you need anything let me know.”

I nodded once and left the living room. I walked into the spare room and closed the door behind me. I then went into the ensuite bathroom and slowly began to get undressed. When I was just down to my underwear I brushed my teeth and started the shower. I removed the rest of my clothes and opened the glass door to the beautiful shower stall. I tried to forget about everything we had talked about but it was pointless. The tears fell, concealed by the water, as memories of what I lost came crashing back. Gran, my parents, my aunts and uncles…it came back in waves and it hurt immensely. I hadn’t been that honest about my past in a very long time. I didn’t regret opening up to Caleb but I regretted the aftereffects of my candor. It hurt to remember and given my current situation I couldn’t afford to be vulnerable if it meant it would possibly jeopardize my safety. Caleb wouldn’t do anything to hurt me but if I remained focused on the past I wouldn’t be able to clearly see my future.

I was probably in the shower for about thirty minutes but if Caleb noticed he didn’t say or do anything about it. He gave me the space I needed and for that I was very thankful. When I was finished showering, I towel dried my hair and put on the t-shirt, which came down to my thighs. I didn’t bother with the shorts. I just climbed into the bed and tried not to think about anything. I didn’t expect to have a peaceful sleep, not with the memories of my dead family floating around in my brain, but I had to get some rest. It was a good ten minutes before I finally fell asleep.

When the dream began it was shockingly free of any Eric or family drama. I was in a very large bedroom arching an eyebrow at a beautiful petite brunette who had a long-layered pixie haircut. She was excitedly rummaging through a very large closet and showing me an entire wardrobe with shoes and accessories. My eyes bulged when she told me they belonged to me and she wanted me to start trying them on. I looked at her like she lost her mind. A gorgeous blonde woman knocked on the door quickly before walking inside and closing it behind her. She smiled at me and echoed the sentiments of the brunette. I grudgingly began trying on the clothes as they coordinated the shoes and accessories to match. I wasn’t having near as much fun as they were but was the first time in a long time that I felt like I was at home and I had a semblance of peace and happiness. The brunette took pictures of me in each of the outfits while the blonde played around with my hair by pulling it into different styles. A short while after this there was a knock on the door and the blonde opened it. The woman with the heart shaped face and brown hair walked inside and shook her head at the other two women. She smiled at me and told us that dinner was ready and she left the room. I changed into something more casual, much to the chagrin of the two women, and walked out of the room. They followed after me as I walked downstairs to the main floor and entered the dining room. The raven-haired guy smiled at me when he saw me and he walked over, giving me a hug. I felt warm and tingly all over. I sighed happily.


	6. Unlikely Alliance

When I woke up… I could still feel the heat and intensity of his hug. I wondered what it all meant. The girl at the park smiling at me and the guy she was with could have very well been my gorgeous raven-haired partner from the explicit dreams. I sat there with a contemplative expression on my face and wondering what the connection was. Why was I dreaming about a bunch of strangers who treated me like a member of their family? Why was I dreaming that I was partnered with the raven-haired guy? How far into the future was that and why wasn’t I with Eric? It almost made me sad to think about it because if that was a vision of my future—it meant Eric wasn’t in it and something happened to keep us apart.

A tear fell down my face and I wiped it away. I got up, made the bed and walked into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and brushed my hair. I didn’t feel like changing back into my dress clothes, instead I put on the shorts, which were big but thankfully they had a string on the inner seam and I tightened it so they wouldn’t fall off. I gathered my clothes, shoes, and my purse. I quietly snuck out of the room and closed the door behind me. I didn’t know what time it was but the sun was shining brightly into the living room as I walked by.

“Did you want some breakfast?” Caleb walked around the corner to greet me.

He was dressed and ready for the day like he had been up for hours and would be heading out to work shortly.

“Oh. Um…sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“So you thought sneaking out was better?” He joked.

“I wasn’t trying to sneak out…” I replied and put my belongings on one of the chairs. “I just feel weird about everything that happened.”

“Well it was an interesting night.” He agreed. “But you don’t have to be afraid of being vulnerable to me. I’m not going to hurt you, in fact, I won’t let anyone hurt you, vampire or not.”

“I appreciate that.” I smiled.

“You’re not used to having real friends, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“You’re understandably guarded but I think hanging around with vampires all the time has warped your sense of normalcy. It is perfectly acceptable to get out, converse, and interact with other humans.”

“I’m just out of practice, I guess.”

“You don’t strike me as being an introvert.”

“I’m not introverted but with everything that happened I’m guarded.”

“That makes sense.” He smiled. “I won’t put any pressure on you but we’re here if you need us.”

“We?” I asked with a curious grin.

“My friends and I.” He answered. “We’re kind of like brothers and we stick together. I don’t make a lot of new friends but if I do let someone in my inner circle they accept them as their own…”

“That’s not a bad thing.” I smiled. “I’m quite loyal myself.”

“I know.” He thought about my relationship to Eric. “Anyway… are you hungry? I had breakfast delivered.”

“What time is it?” I asked.

“It’s around 10:30 am.”

“Wow. I slept in.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” He replied. “You needed the rest.”

“Thanks.”

He led me to the dining room where there were several containers of food, still warm, waiting for us. He hadn’t even begun to eat.

“You haven’t eaten yet?”

“I wanted to wait for you.”

“But how did you know I would be getting up around now?”

“I didn’t. I just guessed.” He grinned.

“Good guess.” I smiled and took a seat.

It looked a like a buffet. There were muffins, eggs, home fries, bacon, sausages, biscuits, pancakes, waffles and fresh fruit with various condiments.

“There’s enough food here for twenty people.”

“The guys will eat the leftovers, believe me.” He replied. “But I wanted to have a variety since I didn’t know what you liked.”

I liked it all but there was no way I was going to have five plates of food; regardless how hungry I was or I would feel like a stuffed pig afterwards. I put a little bit of everything on my plate, enough to sample, and I had a glass of orange juice. In between bites of food we chatted about the day’s itinerary.

“I have to head out to the office in a short while.” He stated. “But you’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

“I should go back upstairs.” I replied grimly.

“Why bother if you don’t really want to go?”

“Where else am I going to stay?” I asked curiously.

“You can stay here.” He put his fork down and looked right at me. He was sincere.

“I appreciate your hospitality but I can’t impose on you like that.”  
“You’re not imposing—I’m offering you a place to stay if you don’t want to go back to the condo.”

He didn’t realize what he was truly offering. It may have sounded like a sweet gesture from a friend to offer me a place to live while I sorted things out in my life but in reality, he was offering me a way out. A reprieve from vampireland and all of its complications. It was tempting, so tempting, but I couldn’t bail on Eric just because we had a fight or had to resolve some issues.

“I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I’m with Eric and whether we had a fight or not, I do live in his condo. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to stay with another man and regardless how pure the motives are it sends a blatant message to him.”

“I guess you’re right.” He nodded once.

“Obviously we have to work through some issues but moving out, even temporarily, will make it seem like we’re breaking up and that’s not what I want.”

“The offer stands.” He replied. “If you ever need someone to turn to or a place to stay… you can come here.”

“Thank you.” I smiled. “And don’t worry the vampires are in their daytime rest so I doubt I’ll have any trouble when I do go back upstairs.”

“Good.”

We ate a little bit more and then I helped him tidy up. He gave me a bag to put my belongings in and then he accompanied me right to the door of Eric’s condo. I looked up at him.

“You didn’t have to do this.” I replied. “I’m perfectly safe.”

“I gave my word that I would.” He answered. “I always keep my word.”

“Same here.” I smiled and I was just about to unlock the door when it opened.

Darien stood there looking at both of us with an annoyed expression.

“I told you I would escort her back.” Caleb replied. Darien noted the t-shirt, shorts and my bare feet.

“She spent the night with you?” Darien asked coldly.

“In the guest room.” I added quickly. “Alone, all night.” Caleb nodded to confirm this.

“Fine.” Darien replied and moved out of the way to let me in. I looked up at Caleb.

“Thank you for everything.” I gave him an impromptu hug and he returned it.

“No problem.” He stated quietly and pulled away. “Call if you need anything.”

“I will.” I smiled and he nodded once before walking down the hall and getting into the elevator.

I walked into the condo and Darien slammed the door shut. I jumped at the sound but I ignored him and walked straight to the bedroom without stopping. It was dark, very dark. I could barely see in front of me. I turned on the light and gasped. Oh crap. Eric was lying in bed, asleep. I quickly turned off the light and was about to sneak out when he spoke.

“Don’t leave on my account.” He stated coldly. Shit.

I didn’t expect him to be there. I turned the light on again and shut the door behind me. He sat up and looked up at me with an angry expression. I guess the shit was about to hit the fan. I dropped the bag with my belongings on the floor. He was in a pair of boxer briefs and he looked me over from head to toe.

“Look, before you assume anything… I didn’t hook up with anyone. I was pissed off and I needed to clear my head.”

He didn’t say anything. He merely stood up and walked over to me, standing right in front of me. I trembled. I didn’t know what he was going to do. He put his hands on the sides of my arms and he inhaled deeply. I didn’t move an inch. I knew this was his way of finding out the truth if what I said was accurate. If I had been with another man, intimately, he would surely detect the scent on my body but he didn’t. He smelled the shampoo, the conditioner, and the soap I washed myself with, but that was it. Relieved, he traced his fingers on the outside of my arms which gave me chills. The sultry kind. In a flash he removed the t-shirt and was pleased that I wasn’t wearing my bra. He began kissing my neck as he rubbed his hands over my chest and around my back. I began to breath heavily. Without warning, in a flash, our clothes were off and we were in the bed. He didn’t hesitate. He entered me and thrusted powerfully. I got caught up in the moment and lost myself in erotic bliss. He took advantage of that opportunity and bit my neck, without my permission. Normally he asked me beforehand but not this time and I was far too distracted to give it any thought. When he was done he switched our position so I was on top of him and he bit his wrist and put it at my mouth, again without asking my permission. His blood dripped inside my mouth and as soon as I got a taste, I began drinking from him immediately.

“You are mine.” He moaned. “Only mine.” 

It sounded like a command but I didn’t refute it. I kept drinking until only a moment later we both convulsed with powerful orgasms. His blood was still on my lips when he pulled his wrist away and I was still straddling him. He gave me a mischievous grin and rested his hands on the top of my legs. I didn’t say anything. I was going to move off of him but he shook his head and kept me in place. He was satisfied that he asserted control over me again. I wasn’t sure how I felt.

We had incredible makeup sex but I didn’t exactly consent to everything he did, especially the blood exchange. I almost felt violated. I knew he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt me but the animalistic urges of his vampire nature definitely took center stage at that moment and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Um… we should talk about what happened…”

“Later…” He purred.

Since he had full access, his fingers began to probe and stimulate me. He was still fully erect inside of me and it seemed like we were going to have another round but despite the pleasure I began to feel again… I was unsure.

“I want to talk.”

“Not now.” He stated firmly.

“But…”

I tried to stop his fingers and get off him but he wouldn’t have it. In a flash he was on top of me, kissing me and letting his fingers continue to rub and probe. I didn’t have the chance to speak again because he upped the intensity and the next thing you knew he was thrusting inside me again. I was distracted with the pleasure of it all and despite my initial hesitation, I moaned as I kept having one orgasm after another. Maybe that was his plan, to keep me in a state of constant bliss so that I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I’m not sure what the motives were except from trying to set a world record of how many orgasms you could have in a few hours but I momentarily forgot about anything else. When we finished I was exhausted. I was breathing heavy like I ran a marathon. I was satiated but didn’t have the energy to say or do anything. He didn’t say anything, he merely kept his arm around me, as if to keep me in place, and closed his eyes to get some rest. When I tried to move over a bit he wouldn’t let me.

“No.” He stated quietly. “Stay.”

He didn’t even use common courtesy or manners. He wasn’t asking me, he was telling me, demanding me, even if his voice was gentle. I sighed and stayed in place, not knowing when or if he was actually going to fall asleep. I felt the puncture wounds on my neck and realized he bit me more than once. There were three separate places where he bit me and I was alarmed. It was the first time since we were a couple that I felt like a fangbanger, a whore, a groupie and not his partner, not the woman he loved and cherished. I felt used and violated. When I remembered everything we just did… it was clear he overrode my will and I was so caught up in the moment, so manipulated by the blood tie, that I didn’t call him on it. I didn’t try to stop him, not really. I just went along because the sheer pleasure of our sexcapade seemed to supersede everything else I felt at the time. However, lying there, held in place beside him… I felt anything but pleasure. I was tormented and I felt like a glorified sex slave. I tried to close my eyes and get some rest but it was no use. I knew he wasn’t going to just let me leave the room unless he was fast asleep. I could feel through the blood tie that he was content and somewhat at peace. Whatever he was thinking about made him happy. I decided to just lay there for at least an hour before I tried to move.

When I was certain he was in a deep sleep I moved ever so slightly and thankfully, he didn’t notice. He was out. I very carefully crawled out of the bed and quietly opened the dressers to get some clean clothes. I pulled out a plain bra, pair of underwear, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I wanted to have a shower but I didn’t want to risk waking him up so I just put on some deodorant, brushed my hair and put it back with a headband and got dressed. I put on a pair of slipper shoes, then I removed my purse from the bag on the floor. I opened the door and quietly closed it behind me once I stepped into the hall. I knew that Darien probably wasn’t going to leave my side, wherever I went, so I decided to do something to keep my mind off everything. I wish I had someone to talk to about my relationship with Eric who would be impartial and give me some much-needed advice. Caleb was at work and I figured that Ryan would be as well. I didn’t have a lot of options. I walked into the living room and Darien stood up, looking down at me with a bit of a smirk. I wanted to punch him in the head. I pursed my lips.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“I was thinking about going to the park or maybe even the library.”

“The library?”

“It’s quiet, peaceful, and I don’t have to worry about you assuming that I’m trying to hook up with my friends or random men.”

“I will accompany you.”

“Of course you will.” I rolled my eyes.

He didn’t reply. I ended up following him out of the condo and to the parking garage. We got into his car and he began driving me to the library.

“If you’re bored we could always get you a laptop or an iPad.” He stated out of the blue.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I commented.

It wasn’t a bad idea. I could stay in touch with Sookie a lot easier if I could chat with her online or email her. I could even throw a line to Tara, Jason, and Lafayette who kept asking about me. I wasn’t certain that Eric would want me to have that much freedom though. He might think it would jeopardize my safety, that someone would catch on to who I was or where I was. I sighed and Darien looked over at me for a moment but I didn’t say anything.

At that moment, on the other side of town Holden had just driven in from Bon Temps holding onto a file with some pertinent information about me. It contained pictures, notes, and a brief history of my life. Ryan opened the door to let him in and arched an eyebrow when he noticed the file.

“She has a file?” Ryan asked curiously as Holden walked inside.

“I made copies from someone else’s file.” Holden replied.

“Who?” Ryan asked as he closed the door.

“Someone working for Sophie-Anne LeClerc, he wishes to remain anonymous.”

“Sophie-Anne? The damn vampire Queen of Louisiana?” Ryan asked with a shocked expression.

“Yes.”

“Why the hell does _she_ have a file on Nikki?”

“I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.” Holden smiled.

“Here, give me the file.” Ryan reached for the file and Holden handed it to him.

They walked to his living room and they sat down across from each other on matching couches. Ryan looked through the file and began reading every little note and tidbit about me. There were pictures of me, my cousins, and our family members along with varied comments from some of the locals about us. Newspaper clippings about the demise of our parents were inside along with the recent events concerning Gran’s death. He felt oddly connected once he read about my parents’ deaths. My tragic past almost mirrored his and it struck a chord in him but he didn’t want to divulge that to anyone. He kept his composure as he continued to read. The darkness inside him knew this was a pivotal discovery and now had a way to use this to its advantage.

“Damn.” Ryan commented. “She’s had it rough.”  
“All of them did.” Holden added. “But they bounced back pretty well, considering.”

“I guess so.” Ryan agreed. “They’re very resilient, especially her.”

“She’s the only one who graduated from college.” Holden added. “The rest of them barely finished high school. You’d think she would’ve left that hick town. Bon Temps is nothing but a dead end.”

“She’s loyal.” Ryan replied. “She didn’t want to leave what was left of her family.”

“Her cousin, Sookie, still lives in her grandmother’s old house.” Holden replied.

“She grew up there.” Ryan replied. “They both did… what about her other cousin, Jason?”

“He’s on the road crew in Bon Temps. Word is he’s popular with the ladies but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

“Any word on the other cousins?” Ryan asked curiously.

“Nobody has seen or heard from them in years.” Holden replied. “One was hooked on drugs and left for the big city, which city that is nobody knows, and the other just skipped town without any trace at all.”

“Which leaves us the telepath and the clairvoyant.” Ryan closed the file and had a slight smile on his face.

“That’s the rumour but nobody has actually confirmed it.” Holden replied. “They didn’t do anything to catch the attention of anyone too high up.”

“Until now.” Ryan commented. “They’re both on Sophie-Anne LeClerc’s radar.”

“She doesn’t seem as interested in Sookie. The rumour is that her telepathy only works on humans, not vampires. Sophie-Anne wouldn’t be interested in someone that wouldn’t directly benefit her. Nikki’s precognition would be more of an asset to her.”

“Of course it is.” Ryan muttered. “And the _Eric_ Nikki’s dating is none other than Eric Northman, the Viking vampire, owner of Fangtasia, and one of the freaking Sheriffs of Louisiana?”

“According to several reports around Bon Temps and Shreveport, he’s not exclusive with anyone and has a steady rotation of fangbangers.” Holden added. “There is a particular blonde dancer at his club that he’s been seen with during and after his shifts.”

“I bet.” Ryan knew full well that I was unaware of Eric’s philandering. He looked at the file. “There are no real details about her family lineage and why they would be gifted with telepathy or precognition.”

“Nothing is in file about her ancestors except that they lived in Bon Temps all their lives until their demise or disappearance.”

“I find it curious for a normal human to have special gifts like that and not be related to a witch or warlock.”

“There’s nothing in the file or even in the rumour mill about that.”

“I know Nikki’s not a witch or sorceress. I don’t sense that at all.” Ryan commented.

“What do you sense?”

“That’s the thing… I don’t know what _it_ is. It seems remotely familiar but it’s ancient and very rare. I can’t place the source.”

“If you can’t figure it out then it has to be very rare. You’re like a walking encyclopaedia for supernatural intel.”

“I’ll figure it out eventually.” Ryan mumbled. “Meanwhile, is there anything else you can tell me?”

“There’s something in the file about a vampire hating ex-boyfriend, Jeff, but that’s it. She received a small sum of money from an insurance claim after her parents died. Her grandparents put it in a trust fund until she was 18. She used it for college, graduated with honours, and held an office job until several months ago when someone left a message that she resigned from her position due to a family emergency.”

“Tell me about her ex Jeff…” Ryan asked.

“I don’t know much about this Jeff character other than he joined some kind of cult called the Fellowship of the Sun or something and were on the lookout to acquire her.”

“The Fellowship of the Sun?” Ryan remembered that name. “It’s a vampire hating cult. They have a private compound, school, stage various bigoted protests, and commit hate crimes against vampires. If they want to acquire her…it would be due to her precognitive abilities I’m sure. Anything else?” Ryan asked.

“Nobody knows where she is or if they do, they’re not talking.” Holden replied.

“Good.”

It all made sense now that Ryan had the missing pieces to the puzzle. The darkness within him was excited at the prospect of getting closer to me. Of course I would be appealing to the supernatural community. I could provide valuable intel ahead of its occurrence that would benefit them greatly. It explained the unique appeal of my blood and scent and it also explained why he himself felt drawn to me. I emitted an unusual vibe and only certain individuals and the supernatural community could sense it.

“Is there anything else you want me to find out?” Holden asked.

“No that’s all. Leave the file.” Ryan replied.

“Did you want me to locate her residence?” Holden asked.

“That’s unnecessary.” Ryan replied. “We’re friends. I know she’ll stay in contact with me.”

“That’s a stroke of luck.” Holden replied. “She’s a valuable commodity.”

“She’s more than a valuable commodity.” Ryan replied. Holden studied his expression and arched his eyebrows.

“You like her.” Holden commented, somewhat in awe.

“She’s alluring as all hell.” Ryan blurted somewhat annoyed. “I can’t get her out of my head. It’s driving me nuts.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“I’ve never felt like this before—it’s amazing and annoying.” Ryan muttered.

“I can fetch her at your behest.” Holden offered.

“No.” Ryan shook his head. “I have a better idea. I want you to retrieve all the surveillance videos of Eric’s recreational activities.”

“I see where you’re going with this…” Holden smirked. “It may require more than our usual methods.”

“Just do it.” Ryan replied. “I can deal with any fallout—though I doubt there will be any.”

“Got it.” Holden replied and left the condo.

Ryan’s thoughts were consumed with me; the darkness wouldn’t give him a moment’s rest. He became obsessed with getting me away from the vampire and keeping me out of Queen Sophie-Anne’s clutches but how to proceed after that, he wasn’t sure.

Meanwhile… we arrived at the library and I walked inside with Darien following me closely. He agreed to give me a bit of space but he had to see me at all times. I didn’t bother to make a fuss about it. I was too tired to argue with anyone. I just wanted some peace from it all. He sat in a lounge area while I perused through the non-fiction categories that contained books about relationships. There weren’t many about human-vampire couplings but I managed to locate a few and I picked them up and walked to a nearby study area. I sat down at a large table not realizing that the pretty, albeit pale, brunette with the heart shaped face was seated diagonally from me at the very same table. When I looked up and noticed I wasn’t alone I smiled at her and when I clued in as to who she was I tried not to overreact.

“I saw you at the park yesterday, right?” I asked. She smiled and nodded.

She had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and her hair had a hint of auburn highlights.

“Yes.” She replied quietly, as if she was nervous to speak to me.

“I thought you looked familiar.” I replied.

“Do you come here often?” She asked.

“No, this is my first time, actually. I have some heavy reading to do.” I patted the books.

She looked at the titles and arched an eyebrow.

“No kidding.” She commented and after a pause she moved across from me and extended her hand. “I’m Bella.”

“I’m Nikki.” I smiled and shook her hand.

The second Bella noticed the bites on my neck she tried to contain both her worry and anger.

“Um… is that why you’re reading these books?” She asked. Oh crap. I pulled my hair around my neck to try to hide them.

“It’s kind of a long story.” I mumbled.

“You’re dating a vampire?” She whispered.

“Um… yeah.” I nodded once.

Bella was instantly upset that my vampire boyfriend fed off me and she wondered if that was the reason I would need another place to stay.

“You don’t seem very happy.” Bella commented.

“I’ve got a lot going on.” I replied. “I wouldn’t want to drag you into it.”

Nor did I want to tell her about the visions I had about her or anyone else she knew.

“Does it help if I told you that I’m engaged to a vampire?” WHAT? Now that was something I didn’t see in the vision.

“Oh… um… I didn’t realize that vampires settled down and got married.” That was a strange anomaly.

“Some do.” She smiled and was saddened by my response; it revealed a lot more than I disclosed.

Wow. No vampire that I knew showed that level of commitment, not even Bill and I knew he loved Sookie.

“Was that who I saw you with at the park?” I asked, hoping inwardly that it wasn’t.

“No.” She grinned slightly. “That’s my friend, Jake.” _That was Jake? Oh boy._

“He seems nice.” _And beautiful, and sweet, and sexy and… why the hell was I having explicit visions about him?_

“He is.” She replied.

“Well my faith in the world is renewed now.” I replied. “The fact that vampires can somehow reach that level of commitment shows me there’s hope.”

“Of course there’s hope.” She smiled. “Why… are you in some kind of vampire trouble?”

“Not really… it’s just complicated.”

“Complicated like he just bites you at will?” Oh boy… how could I answer that without sounding like a fangbanger?

“There’s more to it than that, trust me.”

“So he’s not taking advantage of you and snacking on you whenever he feels like it?” Ouch! _Well yes… but…_

“Normally I’d say no… but… um… never mind.” I shook my head.

“You can trust me, you know.” Bella replied and was absolutely sincere. I knew I could. That was obvious in the vision.

“How can I trust you if I just met you?”

“Because I get the feeling there is more than meets the eye.” Bella replied.

Boy was she ever right… but how could I tell her about my visions? She would think I was nuts. I was about to say something when I noticed her look across the room and frown.

“Is he stalking you or something?” She asked quietly. I smiled at her.

“No, it’s kind of a long story, but he’s looking out for me. My vampire boyfriend hired him to be my bodyguard.” 

“Oh.” She looked back down at her books and began writing again.

After a moment, she sighed as if her curiosity got the best of her.

“Are you in any danger?” She looked at Darien again.

“My boyfriend’s a bit overprotective. He just wants to make sure I’m okay.” I answered very quietly.

“Not much of a boyfriend if he’s torturing you.” She whispered grimly and pointed at my neck again. Whoa!

“No, it’s not like that. I mean…well it’s hard to explain. He’s not trying to kill me or anything.” She looked mystified.

“You _let_ him bite you?” She answered in disbelief.

That was weird; I guess she wasn’t aware that some vampires did that. How could she not know about it? Was she living under a rock or something? I raised my eyebrows.

“Uh, well it’s kind of a long story…” I shifted uncomfortably.

“But you’re not in any danger? I mean he really isn’t trying to kill you or anything?”

She didn’t believe me; it was almost like she thought I was being forced to give the right answers.

“No, I’m not in any danger.” I replied. She seemed to accept that.

“So what’s with the bodyguard?” She asked curiously.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was having a very personal discussion with a complete stranger and I became uncomfortable. If Eric knew he wouldn’t be happy. Who knew if Jeff’s contacts reached all the way to Alexandria or Sophie-Anne’s for that matter?

“Maybe I shouldn’t say anything else.” I whispered awkwardly.

“It’s ok; I’m _not_ going to hurt you.”

I took a good look at her and studied her expression. She was sincere and she seemed so genuine, so nice. It was oddly comforting considering I didn’t have any other female friends in the city and it was a welcome change. Before I could comment any further… I got a glimpse of something and I became still like a statue. I saw a very pale, gorgeous young man with reddish brown hair holding hands with her as I followed them into a room I had never been in before. Alice, the very bubbly woman with a pixie type brown hairstyle, walked over to us. She smiled brightly and then just as quick as it began the vision ended. When I came back to reality she was waving a hand in front of my face.

“Are you ok?” She asked concerned.

“Um, yeah, sorry that happens sometimes.” 

I didn’t know what to say without giving my anything away. She studied my expression intently and at that moment, she sat in the chair beside me. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching us and then she looked at me and whispered.

“You can see the future, can’t you?”

“Um… what?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

She tried to be careful so that nobody heard us. I felt the blood drain from my face. I almost panicked and she noticed.

“I didn’t mean to startle you—I just know someone else that has the same ability but I didn’t know regular people had those kinds of talents.” 

The words _‘regular people’_ caught my attention. Very quietly I looked at her heart shaped face and beautiful eyes.

“What do you mean you didn’t know _regular people_ had those talents?” I whispered. She looked around again.

“There are vampires who have special abilities.” She replied and my eyes bulged.

_Great, just what we needed… supernatural monsters with powers. As if being a monster wasn’t bad enough, they had extra abilities._

“You know vampires who can see the future?” I asked, keeping my voice very low. She smiled and nodded.

“Only one.” She replied. I was stunned. At that point, she decided to explain herself. “My fiancé, Edward Cullen, is a vampire who can read everyone’s minds except mine, and my best friend is his sister, Alice, who can see the future.”

My jaw dropped. Holy shit! Alice? The Alice from my vision was a vampire and she got premonitions of the future? Bella acted like it was no big deal that people had special abilities. I felt like I was in another world. I knew they weren’t monsters or threats to humanity.

“I’ve tried so hard to keep people from knowing about my gift because some of them treat me like a freak if they find out. It’s probably why I’m so close to my cousin, Sookie, she can read minds—and she’s also human.” 

“So what did you see?” I didn’t know if I wanted to tell her, she seemed to sense this. “You can trust me you know.” 

I honestly believed that I could. The glimpse I got of Edward showed he was very peaceful and non-threatening—not at all how like the vampires I was used to. The cell phone beside her binder started buzzing. She picked it up, looked at it, smiled and then closed it. Then she looked back at me waiting for my answer.

“I don’t want to freak you out but I caught a glimpse of you holding hands with a very attractive young man with reddish-brown hair. We, the three of us,” I motioned to her and I, “…were walking into a beautiful living room that I’ve never seen before and a very bubbly brunette walked toward us.” She looked at her cell phone again with a smirk.

“You got a glimpse of Edward and his sister Alice.” She smiled.

“I guess so but I’m not sure what it means.” I replied.

“It means I’m going to invite you back to my place to meet my family who just happen to be vampires.” 

Wow, her entire family was comprised of vampires? That wasn’t something you heard every day. I couldn’t wrap my head around why she was being so nice to me. I knew she was sincere but I wasn’t used to complete strangers being so sweet and gracious.

“Really?” I asked and then something occurred to me. “Are _you_ a vampire?”

“No. I'm just pale and probably look like one. Alice had the same vision you did. She just sent me a text message and you confirmed what she saw.” Oh wow.

“So... your entire family are all vampires? Seriously?”

How was she the only human in that mix? Besides Bill, I didn’t know any other vampires who were emotionally close with humans.

“Well, Edward and I aren’t married, _yet_ , but we will be. His family adopted me into their family right away. They are wonderful.” Wow I was stunned. “What about you? What is your family like?”

“I lost my family when I was young. I only have my cousins Sookie and Jason. My other cousins went off the radar, we have no idea where Tonya is, and we lost track of Hadley once she got addicted to cocaine.”

_Wow. Alice was right._ Bella thought. _She has suffered many losses._

“I’m sorry to hear about that.” Bella commented. “How did you lose your family?” Did I detect empathy in her eyes?

“They died in a house fire. I also lost my aunts and uncles.” Her eyes widened.

“At the same time?”

“No.. .but you would think our family had a dark cloud over our heads.” I replied.

“What about your boyfriend. Do you consider his family to be your family?” 

Whoa—how do I explain that one? Eric’s associates weren’t exactly affectionate.

“Um, that’s hard to explain. He doesn’t really have a family per se... I mean he has a second in command named Pam and he is her maker plus he has a bunch of employees who are devoted to him but it’s not like Full House or anything.”

“I see.” She smiled and thought about it for a moment. “He’s an older, powerful vampire.” She replied somberly.

“Yeah he’s the Sheriff of Area 5 of Louisiana and he’s not used to having such powerful emotions for a human, it’s kind of new and we’re both adjusting to it.”

“I know what you mean. It took Edward a while to be around me without acting like he had multiple-personality disorder.” I laughed.

“Wow. You do know how I feel. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone about this.” Exactly what I needed. “I don’t really know anyone else except Sookie who knows what it’s like to date a vampire or all that it entails but we don’t get to talk to each other all the time.”

I was really surprised at how peaceful it was talking to her. We had only just met but it felt like we knew each other for years. She gave off a good vibe and I was so comfortable being around her. What I didn’t notice was that Darien had become so engrossed in my conversation with Bella that he couldn’t help himself and he came over to us at that exact moment.

“Is this another friend of yours? Or is she bothering you?” He asked stiffly. Bella just arched her eyebrows.

“You can chill. Nikki and I are friends; in fact, we’re planning on hanging out at my place later on, if that is ok with you?”

Oh... she was annoyed with him and didn’t attempt to hide it. I had a big grin on my face.

“Darien, I appreciate your concern but Bella and I were talking about our vampire boyfriends. I would like to able to continue the conversation without you assuming she is going to kidnap me or something, ok??” 

He frowned but then shrugged his shoulders and walked back to the couch in the lounge area.

“What’s the deal with him? I’m kind of worried about you now. He seems way too possessive.”

“Eric is a bit paranoid about my safety because he thinks his superiors have sinister plans for me due to my precognitive abilities.”

“Oh.” _No wonder she needs our help._ Bella thought. “Well, you could hang around my family and you’d be safe. They’re friendly and you wouldn’t have to worry about them feeding on you or anything…”

She looked at my neck again with a concerned expression. It was apparent that it bothered her that Eric had taken some of my blood, which made me curious.

“Yeah, I really don’t know how to explain that. Trust me Eric wasn’t trying to kill me or anything. I guess Edward doesn’t bite you…??” I asked and she blushed.

“No, he wouldn’t risk it.” She shook her head.

“Risk it?” I asked curiously.

“He said that in all his existence he’s never smelled blood as tempting to him as mine so he wouldn’t dare bite me, he’s too afraid of losing control and killing me.” _Whoa_.

It sounded like Edward was the most considerate vampire I had ever heard of. A vampire who didn’t bite his girlfriend? That was new to me. Eric said that my blood and scent were more intoxicating to him than anyone else’s had been and he was over a thousand years old but he still bit me. After listening to Bella tell me about Edward I was so confused. I didn’t know what to think.

“I’ve never heard of that before. Eric would never try to kill me either but I never thought that a vampire could have a normal relationship with a woman and not bite her. Maybe the synthetic blood supplement helps Edward a lot?”

“Well that’s only very new to his family. Prior to that they only fed on animals.” _What_?

“Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious. They don’t take the chance that they might go off the rails.”

I was stunned. How disciplined, how considerate, how very weird for any vampire to do that. They almost sounded human.

“Really? Wow, I’ve never heard of that before.”

“They are more humane than some humans I know. They never wanted to be vampires to begin with so they fought against the natural urge to feed on humans and only fed off of animals so that they could get their sustenance without hurting others.” 

That was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. _Humanistic vampires_? Wow. I had to meet this family.

“That is incredible.” I smiled.

“I’d very much like you to meet them especially since you need some real human companionship and some space from that Darien guy.” She whispered.

“I do have a couple of human friends.” I grinned slightly. “But they’re just as annoyed about the situation as you are.”

“Sounds like you are too…” She replied.

“When your choices are limited you tend to settle for things you wouldn’t normally.”

“What do you mean?” She asked with a bit of a frown.

“Well, except for a couple of friends I made here recently, I’m alone and I don’t have anywhere I can go to stay off the grid from the vampires who are looking for me.”

“Did you want to come over for a visit?”

It was all beginning to make sense to Bella. Alice’s vision about me going to stay with them was starting to fall into place and now that she knew more details about my situation, she understood why they needed to help me. It also made sense that they dropped her off at the library but didn’t stick around to give her a drive back.

“Eric is in town at the moment so I’d have to make sure he was okay with it.”

“What do you mean _at the moment_?” Bella asked.

“Well he works in Shreveport so he’s there most of the time.”

“So he shipped you off where you didn’t know anyone and practically keeps you under lock and key?” She looked angry.

“He brought me here because he had a safe house that nobody knew about and wasn’t connected to me in any way so I couldn’t be traced back here.”

“It’s a good idea but isolating you from regular contact with people is unhealthy.” She was right. Damn it. Ugh. “And having to _ask for permission_ to go to a friend’s place? That’s beyond possessive. It’s almost abusive.” Oh boy.

“Um…” I mumbled. “He’s in his daytime rest and if I’m not there when he wakes up he might get worried.”

“Do you both have cell phones?” She asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“Then I don’t see a problem. You can call him to leave a message.” Wow. She was really annoyed with him. “Besides, your bodyguard can come along to make sure you’re alright.”

“True…” I looked at Darien and he came over. He looked down at us expectantly.

“Darien I’m going to Bella’s place and hang out with her family for a while.” He frowned.

“If you don’t trust me you can come along and meet them.” Bella replied. “They are vampires and I’m sure they are quite equipped to protect Nikki as well as you can if not better.” He raised his eyebrows.

“No.” He shook his head. “You’re not supposed to be around other vampires right now.”

“Relax.” Bella commented. “They’re not like most vampires. They’re very humane and they don’t feed off humans.”

Darien didn’t know what to think. He didn’t want his head on the chopping block by disobeying Eric’s orders but he also knew I wasn’t asking for permission. He studied Bella from head to toe and he didn’t get a bad vibe from her. She looked completely innocent and frail. Or was it a ruse?

“If it helps…” I looked up at Darien. “I already had a premonition about this and nothing bad happens.”

“You did? When?” Darien asked.

“Five minutes ago.”

“I suppose that would be alright.” He replied hesitantly. Something just occurred to me.

“Wait a minute Bella; wouldn’t they be sleeping right now? It’s still daylight.” She laughed.

“Well… no, they’re not your typical vampires. I think they’ve evolved somewhat differently from other vampires.”

What the heck did that mean? Evolved? Were we talking about the X-Men kind of evolution? It was the most bizarre thing I had ever heard, at least up until that point.

“They can’t come out in the daylight… _c_ _an they_?” I asked with wide eyes.

“If they did they would cause a traffic jam but not because of the reason you may think.” What an odd comment. “You’d have to see it for yourself.” 

“Sounds intriguing.” I had to meet this kind, humane vampire family of hers.

Darien studied Bella as we walked to the car. After a few moments, he appeared to relax. When we got to the car Bella’s eyes widened.

“What is it with vampires and extravagant cars?” She commented while shaking her head. I laughed.

“Actually this is _my_ car.” Darien replied. “It’s a guilty pleasure.”

“That’s exactly what Edward would say.” She commented as we got inside and put our seatbelts on.

“Eric has six cars.” I remarked. “I’ve never seen so many expensive cars in one parking lot except for a car dealership.”

“Must be a vampire thing.” Bella answered.

“No... I’m pretty sure it’s a guy thing.” I replied and Darien just shook his head and drove. “I'm surprised Edward didn’t pick you up in his fancy car.”

“He was going to until Alice told him about her vision.” She replied and Darien looked at us in the rear-view mirror.

“Who is Alice?”

“My fiancé’s sister.” Bella replied.

“Your fiancé is a vampire?” He asked.

“Yes.” Bella replied.

“And his sister is also a vampire?” Darien asked.

“Yes.”

“And she gets visions?”

“Yes but she’s not a threat… if that’s what you’re worried about.” Bella replied. “None of them are.”

“If they were, you wouldn’t be alive.” I commented.

“Exactly.” She replied.

“I’ve never heard of a vampire getting married, let alone to a human.” Darien commented.

“Some vampires mate for life whether their partner is human or not.” Bella replied. “Not all of them are cold-hearted, philandering monsters.” Oh wow.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing but her point hit home. Darien swallowed hard and didn’t say anything else. Her comment was enough to shut him up and for that I was grateful.

Queen Sophie-Anne was in the middle of her daytime rest when her cell began to ring. She wouldn’t have bothered to answer it if it wasn’t for the special ringtone, it meant the call was important. She sighed and then reached for her phone.

“What?” She asked annoyed.

“It’s important.” Andre stated urgently.

“Obviously.” She replied as if to say _duh._ “Get on with it.”

“We may have a lead on Nikki Stackhouse’s whereabouts.”

“Tell me everything.” Sophie-Anne sat up.

“One of our associates in Bon Temps was contacted for information about her.” Andre replied.

“What kind of information?” She asked.

“Everything he could find out about her.”

“Why?”

“Apparently his boss wanted to find out more about her but he didn’t indicate why.”

“Who is this boss?” Sophie-Anne asked curiously.

“Ryan Goodwin.” Andre replied.

“I don’t recognize that name.” She replied.

“I got the impression he’s very powerful.” Andre replied.

“Why is that?” Sophie-Anne asked.

“His associate paid a lot of money for the information and something about his mannerisms made it seem like it was urgent to retrieve the data or there would be consequences.”

“Is this associate a human?” Sophie-Anne asked.

“We’re not entirely sure.” Andre replied. “He couldn’t be glamoured.”

“Excuse me?” Sophie-Anne frowned.

“Our associate tried to glamour him but it didn’t work.” Andre answered. “And he said he felt some kind of power emanating from him as though he was protected.”

“Sounds like a spell.” Sophie-Anne replied.

“A spell?”

“Witchcraft.” Sophie-Anne answered. “If it’s powerful enough to protect someone from us then they have access to one hell of a spell book or witch.”

“He didn’t harm our associate.” Andre added.

“Not all witches are evil, only those who practice the dark arts.”

“You’ve come across this before?” Andre asked.

“No, not personally but I’ve heard of it.” Sophie-Anne answered. “Believe me, you don’t want to trifle with them. They can kill anything in their way.”

“Can anything stop them?”

“Maybe an elf-fairy—if they existed in this realm.”

“A what?” Andre asked, confused.

“Nothing, never mind… anyway… where is Ryan Goodwin stationed?”

“We think it’s Alexandria.” Andre replied.

“Godric’s estate is only an hour away from there.” Sophie-Anne stated in deep contemplation.

“What does Godric have to do with this?” Andre asked curiously.

“Nothing but Eric has been _visiting_ Godric a lot lately and that leads me to believe that he’s not so ignorant of Nikki’s whereabouts as he originally communicated.”

“Do you think he’s lying?” Andre asked.

“There’s nothing to indicate that he’s involved with her but this is too much of a coincidence to me.”

“We can send a team to scout the city.” Andre suggested.

“Do it.” Sophie-Anne suggested.

“I have a human team on standby…”

“No.” Sophie-Anne replied. “Send out a team of vampires. If she is there we’ll need to apprehend her quickly and without interference.”

“I’ll get on it right away.” Andre replied.

“Good work.” Sophie-Anne commented and disconnected the call.

A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she lied back down to continue her rest.

Bella directed us out of town and we drove for about an hour before we turned onto a very well maintained but almost strategically hidden side road. After many winding turns through the woods we finally came to a very beautiful, modern, multi-level house that had more windows than anything I had ever seen. It was stunning. I was almost hypnotized by the beauty of the house and the landscape.

When we got out of the car, Darien seemed uncomfortable and he wouldn’t leave my side. Bella just casually strolled up the stairs to the main entrance of the gorgeous house. Immediately the door opened and Edward walked outside to meet us. Well… he didn’t burst into flame but his skin glittered in the sunlight like a million diamonds and I thought I was dreaming. It was incredible to behold.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Nikki.” He smiled.

“Me too.” I answered quietly.

He kissed Bella’s forehead and reached his hand toward me. It felt weird, he acted like he already knew me but I suppose if Alice had a vision of this, she must have told everyone about it. I was just about to shake his hand when he stopped and stared at Darien, who was frowning.

“I mean her no harm; I was just being polite.” Edward spoke directly to Darien.

Darien was bewildered. Then Edward reached his hand out to me again and this time I shook it.

“Alice saw you coming so I thought I would greet you at the door.” He smiled brightly.

“Kind of feeling like I'm in the Twilight Zone right now.” I mumbled and he chuckled.

“You get used to it.” Bella replied. “I think you and Alice will get along well.”

“No doubt.” Edward smiled. “Birds of a feather...”

“Flock together.” Bella finished for him.

I _so_ had to meet Alice. It would be a relief not being the only one with precognitive abilities. Edward raised his eyebrows when he heard that. I should have been used to someone reading my thoughts because Sookie did it all the time and it didn’t bother me but it was weird to know a vampire who could read minds.

“Alice mentioned you have the same gift as she does and that your cousin Sookie can read human minds.”

At that moment the very perky, beautiful, Alice with a layered brown pixie cut from my vision appeared on the porch. I guess she didn’t want to wait to meet me. Edward smiled at that thought. She gave me a hug.

“Hello Nikki, it’s wonderful to meet you.” She was bubbly and friendly and I liked her immediately.

I just couldn’t help being surprised. It felt like I had walked into a different world. For the first time in my life I actually felt comfortable with my gift, I didn’t feel like a freak.

“You are not a freak” Edward startled me with his response to my thoughts. Bella frowned.

“Edward please stop reading Nikki’s mind or at least please let her speak her thoughts out loud.”

“I apologize; I didn’t mean to be rude.” He bent down and kissed her cheek and she blushed.

Darien was just dumbfounded. They all looked at him and smiled.

“Well come on in and let’s get to know you.” Alice replied cheerfully.

“You have a gorgeous house.” I stated as I admired the decor. “And I love that it’s out in the middle of nowhere.”

“We like our privacy.” Edward commented.

“So do I.” I smiled.

We followed them up a staircase, around the corner and straight ahead to the living room. At that moment my vision came to pass. Edward was holding Bella’s hand and we walked into a beautiful bright living room. He turned around and smiled at me. Bella gently touched my shoulder.

“You’ll get used to him.” She stated reassuringly.

“Well my cousin does it all the time so I should be used to it but I guess just not with a vampire.” 

We all sat down on a very large couch. Darien looked very tense.

“Nikki, I don’t think that Eric will approve. He doesn’t know this family and you’re not supposed to be exposing yourself to other vampires right now.” Edward’s brow furrowed but he didn’t say anything.

“If you will please excuse Darien, he’s a bit protective. He’s guarding me while my, um… boyfriend, Eric, attends to other matters in Shreveport.”

“Eric left you here with complete strangers while he attends business elsewhere?” Edward was annoyed.

Bella gave him a warning but he didn’t seem fazed.

“It’s a long story but he wouldn’t have left me with anyone he didn’t trust.”

“Besides we owe him fealty.” Darien replied as though Eric was his Commander in Chief. 

“Fealty?” Bella looked confused.

“Eric has a lot of authority, he an entourage who work for him and Darien is one of them.” Edward replied dismally. “Fealty is extreme loyalty.” Alice finished.

“Extreme is right.” I replied and rolled my yes. They laughed but Darien didn’t.

Based on the tone of Edward’s voice he wasn’t too keen about the ridiculous vampire hierarchy that I was exposed to. Alice didn’t appear very impressed either but instead of saying anything she went to the kitchen to get us refreshments.

“Nikki kind of mentioned he was a Sheriff or something.” Bella added.

“That is correct and because of that Darien won’t betray his allegiance to Eric.” I answered.

“O-kay.” Bella commented.

“Eric is actually at the condo right now but he’s in his daytime rest.” I stated.

“Which doesn’t negate the urgency of protecting you.” Darien added quickly.

The expressions on their faces revealed they didn’t like how much Darien hovered around me. At that moment, I remembered the events which instigated my relocation, except for the intimate moments with Eric. Edward was immediately concerned for me the second he heard my thoughts.

“You seem to be a target for undesirables.” He said quietly.

“Tell me about it.” I replied sarcastically. Darien cleared his throat in disapproval. That ticked me off. “Darien, will you relax? I know that I’m safe here. Can you please just trust my judgement for once?” He nodded stiffly.

Edward looked at him again. In fact, he kept looking at me and back at Darien. I was obviously missing something. Hmmm. Alice had a serious expression on her face when she returned with our refreshments.

“Darien, Nikki is probably better off here than anywhere else in the city.” His mouth gaped in shock and she smiled.

At that moment, the rest of the family came into the room. I was suddenly nervous. It was an odd feeling to meet a house full of strangers, who all just happened to be vampires, and yet know I was incredibly safe. A man with short, light blonde hair like mine walked into the room with his arm around a beautiful woman with caramel coloured brown hair. Then a gorgeous blonde woman walked in with a very muscular dark-haired guy. Another blonde guy whose curls were tucked behind his ears came in and stood beside Alice. My eyes were wide with anticipation. I began to think there weren’t any ugly vampires, that they were all converted into Cosmopolitan models who were ready for the runway. Edward laughed. Everyone looked at him and he kept smiling.

“Nikki doesn’t think there are any unattractive vampires.” Edward chuckled to himself.

“Edward… I told you to respect her thoughts.” Bella chided him.

“It’s okay… he’s right. I don’t remember seeing any who were unattractive.” I smiled.

“I have.” Darien blurted and that caused the rest of us to frown. His answer revealed a lot more than he stated.

Before I had a chance to inquire what the hell he meant by his ominous comment we were creatively distracted.

“Alice told us you were coming and after letting you have a moment to get accustomed the surroundings I thought we should welcome you.” It was clear he was the head of the home and the beauty beside him was his wife. “My name is Carlisle and these are the members of our family.”

The brown-haired beauty beside him was his wife, Esme. She seemed to exude sweetness. She had a very welcoming demeanour. However; the gorgeous blonde woman, Rosalie Hale, looked less than amused although I wasn’t sure why. Her partner, Emmett Cullen, who looked like a professional athlete, seemed to be easy going and gave me a great big smile and a quick wave with his hand. Jasper Hale, Alice’s mate, had a pleasant countenance and appeared to be studying me with an amused expression.

“You are all _together_ , as in partners?” 

That was a first. I had never seen any vampire couples who were so happy and affectionate with each other. The air could drip with their devotion if it was tangible.

“Yes.” Carlisle replied with a smile.

“Wow. I wouldn’t know that you’re vampires... you’re just so... so... _nice_ , so affectionate.” They smiled, even Rosalie.

“Sounds like you’ve had some bad experiences.” Jasper answered almost as though he could sense my emotions.

Before I could reply...Carlisle glanced at my neck and I instantaneously felt self-conscious. He frowned and looked at Edward who also noticed but didn’t say anything. It was clear they didn’t approve. I fidgeted nervously. Then the rest of them zeroed in on what caught Carlisle’s attention and were glowering, even Rosalie. I turned beet red.

“You don’t have to worry; you are safe here.” Carlisle said. “We are humane and we don’t feed on humans, _ever._ ”

“Yeah... Bella mentioned something about that.” I replied.

“You’ve got to be joking.” Darien replied. “You are vampires; you need blood to survive.”

“We have found alternate ways to satiate our thirst without taking advantage humans or torturing them.” Carlisle replied.

Wow. Carlisle’s comment said it all. Darien could scarcely believe what he heard but I trusted every word that Carlisle said. I had never felt so much peace or humanity from other vampires before and nothing compared to it. Where could I find vampires like them back in Bon Temps? I sighed. None of them missed that. We all sat down and Alice seemed intent with us becoming acquainted with one another.

After a short while I found out that they didn’t really interact with the other vampires. They kept to themselves because they preferred to blend in with other humans and not get caught up in the vampire hierarchy that most of the other vampires like Eric and Bill were involved in. I also found out that they were monogamous and mated for their eternity. They never considered being with someone other than their own partners and you could see their dedication even by how they looked at each other. Edward looked at Bella like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I had never seen such adoration but I longed for it, desperately. I immediately felt sad because it highlighted what was missing from my life. The only time I remembered being that happy was with Josh, Sookie, Jason, Tonya, Hadley, Tara, Lafayette but they were barely in my life anymore, and Eric who could scarcely visit was entangled in the vampire world that frightened me. The vampires he knew didn’t have the same humane attitude toward the people around them. They saw them as a means to an end and used them accordingly. The fact that he had to hide me away so I wouldn’t be forced to go with his superiors said a lot. I didn’t like being isolated from the people I loved in order to stay safe. I wanted to have a normal life and continue to have friends like Caleb and Ryan. Edward looked at me and I smiled half-heartedly.

Darien didn’t say much but he seemed more comfortable after we spent time getting to know them. Rosalie and Emmett excused themselves after a little while and left the room. Carlisle and Esme eventually left and walked upstairs to another level in the house. Jasper looked at me curiously. Well that was weird.

“You’re very sad.” He stated and it startled me. “Almost tormented.”

My heart began to pound like I was in a marathon. I didn’t have blood tie to him—how could he know my feelings? I was very afraid. Edward looked at me again but didn’t react.

“I apologize if I frightened you. I can actually sense the moods of others around me.” Jasper added quickly.

And the surprises just kept coming. He had a gift too? I felt a calm pass over me almost instantly. It was like I took a Valium or something. I didn’t understand what was happening, it was all so confusing. That’s when Edward spoke again.

“Jasper is also able to affect the emotions of those around him. He is trying to make you feel more at ease.”

“Do you have a way to bottle that up so I can take it with me?” Everyone laughed, including Darien who finally relaxed. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to meet such a unique and wonderful family. It’s very refreshing, considering that I’ve had a pretty tough week.”

“You certainly have.” Edward replied as he caught a glimpse into my thoughts.

Oh god. He saw what Eric did and I didn’t know how to respond. I tried to think about something else but then I inadvertently remembered about Jeff and that sick picture. I winced. Bella didn’t say much but observed everything curiously. Edward seemed to come to an internal conclusion of some sort and then said something that shocked me.

“I wonder if you would be safer here with us instead of in the city. It’s very secluded here, it’s peaceful and there are enough of us to protect you from undesirables.”

Bella smiled as though she wasn’t surprised at his offer. Alice and Jasper agreed almost instantly.

“But you don’t really know me. We just met. Why are you being so nice to me?” Their courtesy was beyond weird.

“We don’t need a reason to be nice to someone.” Jasper replied. “Besides, Alice already considers you to be a friend.”

“Really?” I looked at her in amazement and she nodded happily. “I could be a sociopath.” They laughed.

“Hardly.” Jasper answered. “You have a very pleasant aura.”

“Have you been so wounded that the kindness from other people seems suspicious?” Edward asked.

Ouch! He hit the nail right on the head. My eyes glistened.

“I suppose so but you are refreshingly unorthodox. It’s a nice change.” I replied quietly. “You’re nicer than some humans.”

“I trust Bella’s judgement and from what I’ve witnessed in your thoughts you need a sanctuary right now.” He turned to Bella. “What do you think?”

He had his arm around her so tenderly and looked so lovingly into her eyes. I was almost overwhelmed just watching them. He loved her immensely and it was obvious. My heart ached immediately. I suddenly wondered if Eric could really love me to that degree. I never considered it before then but after watching Edward and his family express their adoration for each other it reminded me of the hole in my heart aching for the same thing. He caught that thought—and I could tell he felt badly for me. It was in his eyes.

“That sounds good to me; I think Nikki needs to be in a more positive environment.” Bella said.

Did I step into a time-warp or something? I felt like I was in an updated version of _Leave It to Beaver_ where real morals, love and compassion for others actually existed. It was almost surreal. Edward had to keep himself from laughing, but only for a moment because he caught Darien’s thoughts and that caused him to frown.

“Absolutely not!” Darien snapped and it startled me.

“Why not?” I annoyed with him again.

“We have to obey Eric’s orders. We can’t leave you with an unknown vampire coven—no matter how nice they appear to be. Eric will be furious—he won’t tolerate it. I have to obey him and so do you!”

Edward, Bella, Alice and Jasper all frowned and that’s when I lost it! I stood up, threw my hands in the air and raised my voice.

“You guys are going to drive me mad! _‘Obey’_ him? I’m not a damn dog! I am a woman who has had her entire world turned upside down. I can’t go back to my own home or see my friends and cousins, I can’t go back to my job, my ex is on the prowl to hunt me down and keep me as some sick hostage so he can use my psychic ability for a bunch of vampire haters, your damn Queen is trying to find me so she can keep me as her psychic pet, I’m not allowed to have normal friendships with Caleb or Ryan, and now... I’m not allowed to make new friends who seem to genuinely care about what happens to me! I told you already that I don’t appreciate being locked up like a damn prisoner in a maximum-security penitentiary!” 

The moment I began my little rant Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett ran back into the living room. They heard every word and they were not happy with Darien. They glared at him. Darien stood up and looked down at me intently.

“Eric is doing this to protect you—why can’t you grasp that?”

“Eric has lost his head! He’s becoming a control freak and acting so jealous and possessive that it’s borderline abusive. I don’t know what the hell is going on when he’s in Shreveport but it’s turning him into a paranoid, insecure ass!”

“We’re done here.” Darien stepped toward me and reached out to grab my arm.

Edward and Jasper stepped in front of me. It was clear they didn’t like the way that Darien was talking to me. Whoa—these guys didn’t know me and they looked as though they were ready to defend me. Emmett and Carlisle joined them. They looked like they were going to be on the offensive at any moment. Bella gently tugged on Edward’s arm and he loosened his stance a bit. Emmett’s arms were crossed against his chest and he frowned at Darien. Alice stood on my left side, protectively.

“I’m tired of people trying to control and run my life!” I snapped at Darien. 

“I think it’s time we leave.” Darien stated firmly. “I’m sure your friends will understand that your _boyfriend_ has trustworthy associates who will protect you.” He glared at everyone.

“But Eric or you can’t seem to grasp that I have friends that are trustworthy and will protect me? What a stupid double standard.”

“We can’t put you at risk in the company of strangers or vampires we don’t know. You’re too valuable.”

“What?” I asked but he didn’t answer. “What the hell does that mean?”

“He means that you’re valuable to _them_ , Eric and _his_ vampires.” Edward replied and crossed his arms.

“So I’m a freaking trophy?” I raised my voice and Rosalie smirked at my response.

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Darien backtracked.

“I’m too valuable to let out of sight is what you’re really saying—it sure as hell is how Eric has been acting.”

I backed up a bit and Rosalie was suddenly at my right side almost growling at him. Darien suddenly felt apprehensive. They may have been the most humane vampires he ever met but they were fiercely protective of me and it was clear he wasn’t going to be able to drag me out of there.

“Look… I’m not trying to be an ass but I have a job to do, if I don’t do it, then my head is on the chopping block.”

I sighed and relaxed a bit. Edward looked at Darien and then back at me.

“He won’t hurt her.” Edward stated calmly.

“Of course I won’t hurt her!” Darien snapped. “It’s my job to protect her.”

“Bang up job so far.” Rosalie commented. “If her boyfriend is an abusive dick then I think you failed big time.”

Apparently, Rosalie’s response incited a barrage of shocked expressions across everyone’s face.

“He’s not abusive.” Darien replied. “I’ve watched how he treats her. I’m not blind.”

“You haven’t seen _everything_.” Alice added coldly.

“And you have?” Darien asked.

“I’ve seen enough.” Alice replied and Jasper cringed as he felt it through her vision.

“And the bites on her neck are proof enough.” Edward commented.

“It was consensual.” Darien replied. “I don’t know about your species of vampire but blood exchanges between humans and Eric’s type of vampire are important. They have a bond, a powerful one.”

“I have no doubt how pivotal the exchanges are for Eric but I’m willing to bet they’re not _as_ beneficial for Nikki as it is for him.” Carlisle added.

“I would like to call into question the validity of the consent.” Edward replied.

Rosalie looked at Alice with an alarmed expression and Alice nodded once.

“What the hell did he do to you?” Rosalie asked me. Ah shit. How could I explain what happened?

“Um… it wasn’t exactly what it sounds like.”

“It certainly appeared like it to me.” Alice replied and Edward nodded once.

“That wasn’t consent.” Edward stated firmly. “That was manipulation and control.” Darien looked at me expectantly.

“What did he do?” Darien asked urgently.

“I don’t… I can’t talk about this right now…” I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“What do you want to do?” Bella asked. I opened my eyes and looked at everyone.

“I don’t know.” I mumbled and began to tremble.

“I think you need to stay here where we can protect you.” Emmett interjected.

“I agree.” Jasper added. “I can sense your fear, your uncertainty, and your torment.”

“Look—whatever the reason for Eric’s recent behaviour—he’s not just some abusive jerk. He loves me.”

“That depends on your definition of what love is.” Esme replied. “It sounds a lot like infatuation and control to me, not love.”

“I agree.” Rosalie nodded.

“Real love isn’t about self-gratification, domination or control at the expense of someone else’s feelings.” Edward replied. “It takes into account how the other person will feel or respond. It considers how their behaviour will affect the other person. It certainly wouldn’t put you in jeopardy, it would consider your needs first. Real, healthy love has proper boundaries and can trust without being paranoid or blinded by jealousy.”

Damn it all to hell. He was so right. Darien didn’t know what to think. He had no idea what Eric did or how I felt afterwards. He was confused. He had a job to do but at the same time he couldn’t just take me back to Eric if I wasn’t entirely safe there either.

“I have a blood tie to him so I can tell you with all certainty that he loves me. Yes, he’s a bit of a hot mess and he’s not used to his humanity resurfacing but his love is genuine, I know, I’ve literally felt it.”

“That very well may be but leaving Eric out of the picture for a moment, you’re in an unfamiliar city and it would bode well for you to stay with us where you wouldn’t have to worry about a cult kidnapping you or someone forcing you to become a vampire’s slave.” Carlisle stated.

“I agree.” Esme replied.

“He’s right.” Edward replied.

“You’re better off with us.” Emmett added.

“Damn straight.” Rosalie replied.

“Especially considering that you’re at the top of everyone’s must have list.” Alice added.

“I know the lengths that some vampires will go to in order to recruit the best soldiers for their army. It’s not something you want to be exposed to, believe me.” Jasper said finally. “And if Eric has intentionally hidden you from his superiors, like his Queen—there will be severe repercussions. She won’t stand for that kind of treachery. If she finds out, he will be punished, and it will be severe.”

Crap! I forgot about that. If Sophie-Anne did find out that he lied to her or disobeyed her he would be toast. Burnt toast.

I looked at them and then back at Darien. He was obviously torn about his fealty to Eric but given the new information he just heard he felt bad for me and that wasn’t the worst of it. If I only knew what really took place in Shreveport, the shit would hit the fan. Without realizing it he just exposed the truth to Edward who looked at me with a furrowed brow. I didn’t notice but Alice did and so did Bella.

“I don’t know what to say.” Darien commented finally. “I don’t know what happened with Eric and I know you’re frustrated with being cooped up at the condo all the time.”

“I have to talk to him either way.” I replied. “Whether I choose to stay here or there—I need to see him first.”

“Yes, I think you do.” Edward stated in a curiously serious tone. “You have many things to resolve.”

“Ominous much?” Rosalie commented with a bit of a frown.

“He’s right.” I agreed. “We need to have a serious conversation about some of the things that happened.”

“I also agree.” Darien replied.

Back in Alexandria Ryan had just finished watching a few surveillance videos that Holden was able to retrieve, in record time, which showed Eric living up to his reputation. Ryan wasn’t really shocked by what he saw. He had seen worse, hell he had done worse himself but he wasn’t in a committed relationship with anyone or professing to be. He knew the moment I told him Eric was committed to me that something about it didn’t ring true and seemed off. Occasionally he heard of the odd vampire mating for life but it was the exception and not the rule and they certainly didn’t choose humans. They stayed with their own kind because it didn’t make sense to mate with someone who was so fragile and would die in a few short years. He knew that showing me the videos would hurt me but he figured I had a right to know the truth and also it was a great way to separate me from Eric and get me away from the vampires. He was obsessed with getting me away from them and closer to him… though he felt odd about it.

“Wow. He certainly gets around.” Holden commented.

“It’s par for the course.” Ryan replied. “This is what vampires do… although him more so than others.”

“And Nikki Stackhouse is dating _him_?” Holden asked.

“Yes, on the premise that they’re in a committed relationship.” Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Why the hell would she buy that?” Holden asked.

“He’s Eric Northman. Haven’t you heard the stories about him?”

“I guess not.” Holden shook his head. “So what’s your next move?”

“I’m going to show her the videos.” Ryan replied.

“If you don’t mind me asking… why bother? Who cares if she’s dating the greatest playboy vampire on the planet?”

“I found out just how special she is—I don’t want her siding with vampires. She’s valuable and we need her.”

“Are you ready for how she’s going to react to this?”

“Yes.” Ryan nodded confidently.

“Are you really? Because you care about her and her reaction will affect you.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Ryan stated assuredly.

“You’re going to sweep in to save the day.” Holden commented.

“Hardly.” Ryan replied. “I am going to be there for her, yes, but we both know I’m no hero.”

“Does she know?” Holden asked. “The truth about you?”

“What do you think?” Ryan asked.

“I think you should be careful around her.” Holden commented. “You care about her more than you’re willing to admit and it might blow up in your face.” 

“I’ve got everything under control.” Ryan replied.

“Are you sure?” Holden asked. “Because you’ve never expended this much energy for a woman before, let alone a woman who has the damn Queen of Louisiana looking for her.”

“I can handle the Queen.” Ryan replied coldly.

“Oh no doubt but can you keep your cool around her if it doesn’t play out like you expect it to?”

“I’ve got it covered.” Ryan replied.

“Okay.” Holden decided to let it go before Ryan got pissed off. “Is there anything else you need before I leave?”

“No, you can go.” Ryan replied quietly. “But keep your cell on.”

“Will do.” Holden nodded and left the condo.

Ryan sighed. Holden was right. He cared about me a hell of a lot more than he wanted to and it made him feel uncomfortable. The darkness was unsure about him opening his heart up to me but seeing as though I had supernatural powers my value trumped his discomfort. Ryan picked up his cell and stared at my number in the contact list. He waited at least 10 minutes before actually dialing the number.

I was in deep contemplation about what to do when, without warning, my cell phone began to ring and I almost jumped from the sound. I pulled it out of my purse and looked at the display. It was Ryan. He was probably calling to check up on me.

“Hey Ryan.” I smiled. “Um… I’m a bit preoccupied with something right now…”

“I have to talk to you about something important.” He stated urgently.

“Um… not the best time…” I added.

“What? Does he have you chained to the bed?” Ryan replied sarcastically and everyone but Darien and Bella heard it.

“No—I’m just at a friend’s house right now.” I added defensively. Wow he was upset at Eric.

“Caleb’s?” He asked.

“No—look, can I call you back?”

“Um—sure, yeah.” He replied stiffly. “Sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s okay, really.” I replied and then disconnected the call.

“He’s worried about you.” Edward replied. “I could hear it in his voice.”

“And he’s no fan of Eric, apparently.” Rosalie added but Esme frowned at her.

“I’ll have to get into this later.” I replied. “I have too much on the brain right now.”

“We could meet you in town.” Alice stated out of the blue. “For dinner…”

“Um…”

“That’s a great idea.” Bella replied.

“It would give Eric a chance to meet everyone.” Carlisle added.

“That’s true.” Esme nodded once.

“I’m good, thanks.” Rosalie replied and shook her head. Oh boy.

“Come on, Rose.” Emmett put an arm around her.

“Oh fine.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“I can call you and sort out the details.” I replied. “After I speak with Ryan and find out what the heck is going on with him. I do want to consider your offer but I can’t make a decision right now.”

“You are welcome here.” Carlisle commented. “But we won’t force this on you. It’s your choice, take all the time you need.” His demeanour was calm but he was genuinely concerned about my safety.

I was amazed by their generosity; it warmed my heart and gave me hope that a real family was somehow attainable. Maybe it was possible to have a normal family despite my precognition. If the Cullens, who were vampires, could have a loving, healthy family—why couldn’t I? I was almost desperate for it. Beating me to the punch, Alice handed me a piece of paper with her cell phone on it and I programmed it into my contact list. All the women except for Rosalie gave me a hug which I found odd but I wasn’t offended, I could understand that she probably didn’t feel comfortable with me yet even if she did stand up for me. I was still a stranger to her. The guys shook my hand but they just nodded at Darien.

“Hey maybe next time you could meet Jacob.” Bella suggested.

“He could certainly use the distraction.” Edward quipped and Bella frowned at him.

“ _Edward_! Stop that!” Bella reprimanded him and turned to me. “He’s my best friend but I think you two would get along well.”

“Sure.” I nodded. _You have no idea._

Edward heard that thought at looked at me curiously. I remembered the dreams I had about Jacob and Edward’s eyebrow arched but I was too distracted by Rosalie rolling her eyes at the thought of Jacob. I guess she didn’t like him very much. There had to be a story behind that one. Edward nodded. I kind of liked that—getting answers without having to ask the questions out loud. Edward smiled.

“Is there something wrong with Jacob?” I asked carefully as I looked at everyone. The guys smirked.

“Absolutely not.” Bella replied right away.

“Not at all.” Carlisle agreed.

“Maybe not to you.” Rosalie muttered. “But I would prefer to not have to see that dog all the time.” Bella frowned.

“Rose!” Esme scolded her. “That was uncalled for.”

“Sorry.” Rosalie apologized stiffly.

“Dog?” I was confused. “What… is he a jerk or something?”

“No.” Bella replied.

“Or something…” Rosalie mumbled and I arched my eyebrows at her. “It’s my nickname for him.”

“O-kay…” I mumbled.

“Never mind her.” Emmett replied. “I think you’ll get along with Jake.”

“He could use a new friend.” Edward mumbled and I saw Bella smack him on the arm.

“Stop.” She answered firmly.

“What am I missing?” I asked curiously. Based on the dreams I had, he was the sweetest, most loving guy.

“Nothing... it’s just that Edward and Rosalie don’t really care for Jacob.” Alice interjected. “It’s not him—it’s _them_.”

Edward and Rosalie rolled their eyes again while I noticed Jasper study me intently.

“From what I’ve sensed, you and Jacob would get along quite well.” Jasper said, finally.

“You could definitely use some new companionship.” Carlisle replied as he glared at Darien.

“That’s true.” I replied without looking at Carlisle. “I could use a break from all vampire BS. Um... no offense.”

“None taken.” Edward stated with a grin while the others had to stifle a chuckle.

“At first glance I wouldn’t assume you were vampires anyway. You’re too... _nice_.” I added quickly.

“Not all of us are nice.” Emmett commented and Rosalie agreed.

“There are more of you here?” I asked curiously while Darien’s brow furrowed.

“No. We’re the only vampires of our species in this area.” Carlisle replied.

“Who are you talking about?” I asked Emmett.

“Doesn’t matter.” Edward and Jasper replied simultaneously. That was weird.

“It doesn’t affect us.” Alice interjected.

“They’re on a different continent anyway.” Jasper added.

“Oh good.” I answered. “From your reactions they sound horrible.”

“They are.” Rosalie answered but when Carlisle frowned she tried to backtrack. “But they’re not a problem for us here.”

“Phew.” I replied. “That’s a relief.”

I wondered who they could be talking about but then I decided, I didn’t want to know. If there were evil vampires I was happy enough to stay away from them all. I liked being with the Cullens though. I was so comfortable around them, like I was a part of their family even if I wasn’t. My gut told me that they could be trusted and they appeared to genuinely care about me even though they didn’t really know anything about me other than what Edward or Alice might have already told them.

Finally, after Darien’s insistence, we politely excused ourselves. They saw me off and I waved at them as we drove away. It felt peaceful knowing there were vampires that I didn’t feel threatened by. Everyone looked concerned when I left but Edward knew everything, he read my mind like a book and he knew what was stacked against me. He also knew about my visions. I had difficult choices to make and I had to remain anonymous. I certainly hoped it wasn’t the last time I would see them. Their presence felt like heaven right in the middle of hell.


	7. Abduction

Darien kept quiet but you could cut the tension with a knife. I just looked out the window and tried not to think about anything but it was impossible. So much was up in the air. Edward being able to see my thoughts and determining from them that what Eric did was controlling, manipulative and practically abusive and then Alice agreeing with him—it left me broken. I had to have a heart to heart with him. It seemed pretty clear that rough waters were ahead and I had to figure out how to navigate through them without losing myself or our relationship.

My phone kept buzzing. I ignored it at first but when it kept up I had to see who the heck kept texting me. It was Ryan. His messages stated same thing over and over:

_“I have to talk to you in person. I wouldn’t keep bothering you if it wasn’t important.”_

He wasn’t one to text me every five seconds as if he was a jealous, codependent, boyfriend so curiosity got the best of me and I decided to call him. He picked up on the first ring.

“Nikki!”

“Ryan, what the heck is going on? You’re going to blow my phone up if you keep texting. I told you I’d call you back.”

“Are you in town?” He asked.

“I’m on the way.”

“I need to see you.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Not on the phone.” He replied. “We can meet in the park at our usual spot.” I looked at my watch.

“I should be there in about 45 minutes or so.”

“Text me when you get there.”

“Okay, relax.” I replied. “I’ll be there.”

“Good. See you soon.” He disconnected the call.

“What’s with him?” Darien asked.

“I don’t know but it sounds important.”

“You’re not going back to the condo yet, are you?”

“No. I have to meet Ryan first and then I’ll go back.”

“Are you still going to have dinner with that friendly vampire coven?”

“I think so.” I replied. “I’m just not sure when.”

“I have to be honest.” He said carefully. “Eric isn’t going to be happy about any of this.”

“I don’t care.” I replied. “Contrary to what he thinks—he doesn’t own me. I’m my own person and I have to sort things out for myself.”

“What did he do?” Darien asked quietly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I can guess.”

“Don’t bother.”

“He bit you more than he normally does.” He motioned to my neck and I sighed unhappily.

“I know.” I grumbled.

“He didn’t ask you, did he?”

“Nope. Change the subject.”

“I’m sorry.” Darien stated quietly.

“About what?”

“Whatever he did to hurt you.” Darien answered very carefully.

“Why do you care?” I asked.

“I may give you a hard time but I know you love him and being in love with a vampire can be hard on humans.”

“So he has a string of women who fell for him and got burned.” It wasn’t a question. I knew what he meant.

“Of course he does, he’s Eric Northman. He’s a fucking Viking vampire. Women flock to him like flies go to shit.”

Nice metaphor. His comments made me feel increasingly uncomfortable. I knew women were obsessed, infatuated, and loved Eric but I didn’t need to hear about the trail of broken hearts he left along the way.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked suspiciously.

“Because out of them all I know you’re the only one he loves.” He replied. “The only one he ever loved.” Wow

“Okay…”

“And he would never want you to get hurt but it’s hard for vampires to have a normal relationship with a human. Your new vampire friends have something special. It’s rare—especially among vampires.”

“Do you have a point?”

“Just that whatever happens—I’m sorry and you need to know that Eric really does love you.”

“That’s it?” I asked, confused. “A bunch of cryptic comments but no real information? Are you going to elaborate?”

“Not now.” Darien replied. “Maybe later after you and Eric have your talk.”

“Alrighty then.” I replied and stared out the window again.

He didn’t say anything after that and I was a bit relieved. I had enough on my mind without adding any more Eric drama to it. I hated the dead silence though so I put the radio on to at least break the tension and awkward silence. It wasn’t long before we pulled into the city. Darien pulled up to the curb beside the entrance of the park. He didn’t say anything but gave me a pensive glance.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be but if it gets close to dusk and I’m not back I’ll send Eric a text message.”

He nodded once and I got out of the car. I closed the door behind me and watched him drive off. Our trip to see Bella’s family impacted him and it was clear he had a lot on his mind. I couldn’t remember him ever showing any empathy toward me before. He always acted like a good little soldier, carrying out Eric’s orders unapologetically, but our visit to the Cullens place changed him—it changed me. I was already out of sorts from Eric’s behaviour and unsure of what I was going to do, after seeing the Cullens I knew things were going to change—the had to. I was going to have to deal with the fallout regardless what that was going to be.

I slowly turned around and walked into the park. It didn’t take long to find Ryan. He was pacing around anxiously and kept looking at his watch. It was obvious that something was very wrong. I had never seen him so anxious before and I wondered what was going on to make him act like that. When I got closer to him and he noticed, he ran over to me, and quickly hugged me. That was odd. He wasn’t one to be so affectionate.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m alright. What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” I pulled away slowly but when he noticed my neck his jaw clenched.

“He bit you _again_?” I could almost feel his fury.

“Um…” I stammered and lowered my eyes.

“I thought you said that he doesn’t require much blood anymore?” I didn’t reply and he sighed. “Look at me.” I looked up at him and bit my lower lip. “Why did he bite you again? Has he done _that_ before?” He was angry.

“No.” I replied and looked away again.

“What’s wrong? Why are you acting embarrassed?” When I didn’t respond he put his hands on my arms. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I replied.

“Look at me.” He demanded and I looked up at him. My eyes welled up. “What the hell did he do?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit it was nothing.” He blurted angrily and released my arms. “He punished you—didn’t he?”

“What?” I looked at him like he was nuts. “ _No_.”

“Then why did he bite you more than once?”

“I don’t know.” I replied.

“Did you ask him to?”

“Hell no.” I blurted without thinking and he arched his eyebrows.

“So he bit you _without_ your permission?” Ah damn it. “Well?”

“Um… I guess permission was assumed.”

“Permission can’t be assumed, it has to be given, it has to be stated clearly—especially where vampires are concerned.” He stated coldly. Damn it! “What else did he do _without_ your permission?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re going to tell me that after how upset you were last night that you were in the mood for what I’m assuming was some pretty angry makeup sex?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I replied, finally as I turned red and fidgeted nervously.

“Exactly.” He sighed angrily and clenched his jaw. “He overrode your will. He used the blood tie against you, didn’t he?”

“How do you know about the blood tie?”

“Come on! I’m not stupid. I know about vampires and how they use blood ties to control humans. Last night was about punishing you and putting you in your place.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“From where I’m standing it was exactly like that and what I have to tell you won’t make it any easier.”

“What do you mean?” I asked nervously. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what was coming.

“We shouldn’t do this here.” He commented.

“If not here, then where?” I asked.

“Wherever you feel the most comfortable.” He replied.

“The only place I can think of is my friend Bella’s place but that’s an hour out of town.”

“We can’t wait that long.” He replied.

“Why the hell not?” I asked curiously.

“Because the sun is going to set soon and I’m sure that Eric will come looking for you.”

“Then where do you think we should go that will be private enough for us to have a conversation?”

“We can go to my place but only if you’re comfortable with that.” He looked at me earnestly and I sighed.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

He was happy I agreed but didn’t let on. I followed him out of the park, down the street and then around the corner to a beautiful blue 1966 Mustang Coupe.

“Wow. Nice car.” I replied.

“You like Mustangs?” He asked with a smile as he opened the door for me.

“I love classic cars. My dad had one…” I replied as my voice trailed off.

“What did he do with it?” Ryan asked after he got into the driver’s side.

“Gran sold it after my parents died and used the money to take care of me.” I replied quietly.

“I’m sorry.” He replied and put a hand on my arm. “I didn’t know.”

“I don’t talk about my past a lot.” I replied. “It’s too painful.”

“Sounds like it.” He replied. “But if you ever want someone to talk to, I’m here.”

“Thanks.”

He started the car and we began driving. It didn’t take too long for us to reach his building. It was on the opposite side of town. He parked the car in an underground parking lot. I followed him to the elevator and we took it to the top floor, which was eerily familiar. He had the only condominium on the floor. It was probably bigger than Gran’s house if it was confined to just one floor.

“Wow. Someone has money.” I replied with a grin.

“You’re one to talk. You only wear designer labels.” He teased.

“Touché.” I wasn’t going to tell him that Eric bought my wardrobe.

He opened the door and let me inside. I walked in and admired the décor while he closed the door and locked it behind him. He had good taste but it did seem weird to me that everything was pristine white. I looked out of the large window that overlooked the city. The view was captivating. He came up behind me and gently set a hand on my shoulder. At first I didn’t move. I just lost myself in the view and for a moment I almost felt better but then I turned around and bit my lower lip nervously. I knew I had to get this over with.

“Nice view.” I commented and motioned toward the window.

“It’s the reason why I bought this place.” He replied quietly.

I could tell the boom was about to drop. I could almost feel it. Part of me wanted to delay the inevitable but the other part of me had to know what it was he was so desperate to tell me.

“What is it you want to tell me?” I asked nervously.

He paused for a moment and swallowed hard. The idea of hurting me suddenly bothered him greatly and he was unaccustomed to feeling that way about anyone, especially a woman. He had been a lone wolf on the hunt for revenge for such a long time that he didn’t know what real friendship or companionship felt like and getting a taste of it with me made him hungry for more. If he told me the truth he would risk alienating himself from me but the darkness within assured him that it would actually bring us closer together. Showing me the truth about Eric’s actions would make me turn to him for comfort and trust him. He was still conflicted though and the darkness didn’t realize the impact I had on him. It hoped that Ryan’s affection would be reciprocated.

“Maybe I should leave it for another day.” He stated quietly. _Tell her, she needs to know_ , the darkness implored.

“Are you kidding?” I arched my eyebrows. “After all the text messages and the fuss you made? Just tell me.”

“You’re not going to like it.” He stated grimly.

“How bad is it?” I asked anxiously.

“You want me to be honest?”

“You’re always honest, b _rutally_ honest.” I sighed. “It hurts like hell but I also know I need to hear it.”

“True.” He commented. “But this is going to change everything and it will turn your life upside down.”

So this was going to be epic. Great.

“Do _you_ think I should know?”

“Absolutely.” He replied without reservation. “If the roles were reversed I would want to know.”

“Then we might as well get it over with.”

“First of all… I want you to know that I have some reservations about showing this to you. I’ve been going over it in my mind for the last couple of hours about whether or not I should speak up but you deserve to know the truth.”

Oh boy. It was going to be bad. Very bad.

“Ryan just get it over with already. All this skirting around the issue is only making me more nervous.”

“Okay…”

He picked up an iPad from the coffee table and was about to press play on a video icon. He paused and looked down at me.

“For a little while now I had a bad feeling in my gut. It wouldn’t leave and when I found out you were not only dating a vampire but had a bodyguard to keep you safe when he wasn’t around I was worried about your relationship with him and the dangers you might be exposed to. I contacted one of my associates to see if he could find out if you were on any watch lists or if you were a target. In the midst of this search he found out about something entirely by accident. When he told me about it I knew I had to tell you…”

“You sent someone to spy on me?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“No… it wasn’t like that.” He backtracked. _Clarify this and quick!_ “I was worried that other supernaturals would be on the hunt for you… I don’t know why but it wouldn’t leave my mind and I had to be certain…”

“Okay…” I took a deep breath. “And…?” I motioned for him to continue.

“My associate was almost finished doing his research and was on his way back here when he decided to stop in Shreveport to see if there were any leads there. He stopped at a local restaurant on the edge of town to see if he could get some intel from the locals. He noticed a few women sitting at the bar, one of which was laughing and drinking one shot after another. He sat near them and overheard their conversation. The one who was laughing and drinking nonstop shots is Brandie, she is a dancer, and she was bragging about managing to score a rich vampire. My associate thought nothing of it until he heard the name.”

My heart began to beat quickly and my stomach felt queasy.

“You’re talking about Eric.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” He nodded grimly and I could tell I wasn’t going to like what was coming. “Oblivious to anyone else who was listening, she continued to brag about how she was Eric’s favourite and that he hired her personally to dance for him after only meeting her once. Apparently, she began videotaping their encounters in case something happened to her.”

“You have the videos?” I asked curiously. I tried to stay calm but I began trembling.

“Yes.” He gently put a hand on my arm and it actually felt good. Too good but I couldn’t bring myself to remove it.

“How did your associate manage that?” I asked nervously.

“He covertly cloned the devices she had in her purse.”

“He cloned them?” I arched an eyebrow. “That’s possible?” I was so clueless.

“It’s very possible.” He nodded. “I’m surprised you don’t know about this.”

“I’m a bit technologically challenged.” I commented. “I can use the devices if I need to but I don’t know about all the apps or fancy new gadgets that are out there. I’m surprised I can use them to begin with.”

“You don’t have to watch the videos.” Ryan added quickly.

“I have to.” I sighed. “I have to see it for myself.”

I had to see if Eric was only pretending to like this chick or if he actually did cheat on me.

“To prove me a liar?” He asked as though I didn’t believe him.

“No.” I shook my head. “I know you’re not lying.”

“Then why put yourself through this?”

“Eric has a reputation to uphold.” I replied. “I need to know that it wasn’t a ruse to protect me but a genuine violation of my trust.”

“I have videos from the security tapes at Fangtasia as well.” Ryan added.

“How did you pull that off without getting caught?”

“My associate is a genius.” He replied. “And provided a suitable diversion in order to access the videos.”

“What did he do?” I asked curiously.

“He might have paid a human to let a vampire bite her in the bathroom.” Ryan almost smirked.

“Biting humans isn’t permitted at Fangtasia. It’s illegal.”

“I know. It created a huge diversion which enabled my associate to obtain the security tapes without being detected.”

“Wow. I hope you pay him well.” I smirked.

“I do, in fact.”

“Show me those first.” I asked urgently.

He didn’t delay. He clicked on the icon for those videos and I immediately grabbed the iPad and sat down on the couch. He sat beside me, studying my reaction. The Fangtasia surveillance footage showed a very voluptuous blonde dancing on a platform with a pole right in front of him. Great, she was a stripper. She was half-naked in each one. There were several occasions he responded favourably to her—kissing and grabbing her in plain view of everyone. The queasiness in my stomach worsened. Some people glanced their way for a moment, others ignored them, but there were a few patrons who appeared in every video. I studied them closely and noticed they watched Eric’s every move and it appeared to me that they were planted scouts sent to spy on Eric. The queasiness momentarily subsided as it gave the impression that Eric’s behaviour was a ruse. A relief washed over me as the videos ended.

“You don’t seem very rattled.” Ryan commented curiously.

“There were a few patrons in each video who studied Eric’s every move. They might have tried to blend in with the others but they watched him like they were scouts set in place to report back to someone.”

“How did I miss that?” He commented and replayed the videos. I pointed to the suspicious patrons. “Wow. You should’ve been a private investigator.”

“No, I’m good.” I smiled. “Did you watch the other videos?” I asked curiously.

“Um… yeah.” He nodded once but his face was grim.

“So it gets worse?”

“Yes.” He replied solemnly. “Much worse.” But he didn’t play them. He held the iPad and contemplated putting it down.

“Ryan, just show me.”

“I don’t like what’s coming.” He mumbled and I put a hand on his shoulder.

“I have to know the truth.”

“Fine… but believe me when I say I take no enjoyment in this…”

He began to play Brandie’s videos and that’s when my world came crashing down. It was very clear in each one that Eric was not only complicit but enthusiastically engaged in various sexual positions with Brandie to the extent that I couldn’t keep watching. I shoved the iPad back over to Ryan as the tears fell down my face. He stopped the videos.

“Not a ruse.” Ryan asked quietly.

“No.” I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes but it was pointless.

I broke down and began sobbing and he shocked himself by putting his arms around me and holding onto me and letting me cry. As he held onto me I felt comforted. I could feel his concern for me and his torment as he watched my reaction. Something rose up in him as he held me. He didn’t want to let go—I made him feel peaceful, content, happy and almost free. The darkness didn’t know what to make of it and was conflicted. My presence had a powerful effect on him and it didn’t know why. We sat there for a while but when I noticed the sun was starting to set I knew I had to leave. I slowly pulled away.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Why? It’s not your fault. You were worried about me and were trying to protect me.” I mumbled, almost incoherently.

“Because this hurts you.” He whispered. “And I hate to see you cry.”

“You warned me.”

“It doesn’t mean I really wanted you to go through this hell.” He paused and wiped the tears from my cheeks.

I looked at him for a moment in silence and studied the concern on his face. He had mesmerizing green eyes, a strong jawline and nice, full lips. I wanted to kiss him but not for the right reasons. Did I like him? Yes. Was I attracted to him? Yes, but I never focused on that before. I kept it in check because of my devotion to Eric. After finding out about Eric’s betrayal my heart ached with such an intensity that I just wanted to make the pain go away. I wanted to make it all go away. Being with Ryan felt good, too good, and I was beyond tempted. Maybe it was my erratic feelings after finding out about Eric’s betrayal but I did genuinely like Ryan and he was beautiful. I could feel some kind of connection to him that I couldn’t explain.

“Nikki?” Ryan looked at me worriedly. He put a hand on the side of my face. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t answer him. I put a hand on the side of his face and I abruptly kissed him. He was shocked for a moment but then he reciprocated the kiss and his hands slid up my arms, up the side of my neck and then into my hair. We carried on like that for a couple of minutes, our hands changing positions with his hands resting on the small of my back and my hands around his waist until I came to my senses and stopped. I gently pulled away.

“I’m sorry.” I commented. “Wow…I didn’t mean to do that.” _Uh…yes you did._

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” _Damn! I want more of that!_

“I’m a mess and I shouldn’t be crossing the lines of our friendship.” I commented and I got up. “I should go.”

“Stay…” He suggested gently. “Until you have calmed down. You’re in no shape to see him while you’re like this.”

“I’m not going to see him.” I replied and picked up my purse. “I need to get some fresh air and clear my head.”

I intended to get out of there in a hurry but I stood there staring at him, smoldering like he was on a damn GQ magazine cover, and I didn’t want to leave. I dropped my purse on the coffee table and walked over to him. We didn’t say a thing. He put his hands against my waist and pulled me against him. My hands ran up his back as he kissed me ravenously. He reached around and gently squeezed my behind and then lifted one of my legs around his waist. The darkness was beyond pleased. That’s when I came to myself again and abruptly pulled away.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I stammered. “This isn’t fair to you.”

“You’re not doing anything wrong.” He insisted.

“This isn’t me—I don’t act like this.”

“I’m not upset—or offended.”

“It’s not right.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry… it’s not you—I’m just messed up.”

I picked up my purse and I ran out of the condo and he followed after me.

“You shouldn’t be wandering around when you’re this upset.” He commented as he followed me into the elevator.

“I’m not going to wander—I’m going to call a friend.”

I pulled out my cell phone and tried to call Bella but there was no cell reception and the calls kept cutting out.

“Reception is bad in here.” Ryan commented.

“Ugh!” I exclaimed and decided to hold onto my cell until I got out of the building.

“Let’s talk about this.” He implored me.

“I can’t think logically right now.”

“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to make it worse.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Ryan—it was me—all me.” I mumbled. “I don’t trust myself with you.”

“You’re not going to hurt me, come on.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to throw you on the floor and jump you right now but that’s not me. It’s not right.”

His heart pounded furiously at my confession but he didn’t want to make things worse either. _Be careful. You don’t want to risk pushing her away right now,_ the darkness whispered to him. I was vulnerable and with what Eric did… he had to tread lightly.

“You’re worried about hurting my feelings.”

“I just found out about Eric—you can’t tell me that this isn’t jumping from the pan into the fire.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you.” He insisted.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I replied. “I’m a mess, I can’t think clearly, my hormones are all over the place and if we just get caught up in the moment without considering what happens afterwards—it’s going to kick us both in the ass.”

I needed somewhere neutral to go which Eric didn’t know about. The elevator doors opened when it reached the ground floor and I all but ran out of it and down the corridor but he kept up with me. When we exited the building he gently grabbed my arm.

“Nikki, come on. Just take a deep breath and think before you do something you might regret.”

“I already have.” I commented. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

“I can help you through this—you can trust me.” I looked into his eyes and I almost got lost in them. Almost.

“I know…” Tears fell down my cheeks. “But I’m afraid… to trust again…” That actually made him wince.

I tried calling Bella again but the calls still kept dropping.

“What the hell is going on?” I grumbled.

Meanwhile back at the Cullens… Alice was putting the finishing touches on my room when she abruptly stopped and went into a trance. Jasper and Rosalie were with her when this happened but she couldn’t hear them. She was caught up in a vision.

_I was outside talking to Ryan when three vampires swooped in, shoved him against the wall of a building and took me. They sped out of sight until they were at the edge of the city. One of them used chloroform on me and I was out. They put me in the back of a black Town car, bound my wrists behind my back, and drove away._ The vision ended.

“Alice!” Jasper waved his hand in front of her face.

“We have to save her!” Alice stated urgently.

“Nikki?” Rosalie asked with concern.

“Yes!” Alice replied and everyone else ran into the room.

“What happened?” Bella asked and she looked at Edward, he already knew.

“3 vampires I’ve never seen before are going to kidnap Nikki.” Alice replied.

“When?” Jasper asked.

“Soon, it could be any minute.” Alice replied.

“Let’s go.” Emmett commented.

“The guys will get her.” Carlisle commented as he looked over at Jasper, Emmett and Edward.

“I’m going.” Alice insisted.

“Someone has to watch over Bella.” Edward commented.

“I’ll stay.” Esme volunteered.

“I’m not in any real danger.” Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“Said the girl who trips over her own feet.” Emmett replied.

“Very funny.” Bella sighed.

“I’ll stay with Esme and Bella.” Jasper interjected. “We’ll be fine. Now go…” He motioned and Alice kissed him.

“We won’t be long.” Alice stated.

“Don’t worry about the time just get her and bring her back to safety.” Jasper replied she nodded and they left the room.

“No time for cars.” Edward stated as they ran down the stairs and then out the front door. “We’ll have to use our speed.”

They darted off into the forest and disappeared in a flash.

Back in the city I stared at my phone with a frown.

“I would never do anything to hurt you, not intentionally.” Ryan stated. “You know that right?”

“Yes but it’s not that simple… this whole situation is complicated.” I sighed and looked at my cell again. “Something is wrong.” I commented and looked around. “I can feel it.” Ryan knew that was a sign to go back inside.

“Let’s get out of here.” Ryan replied but it was too late.

“Let me try once more…” I didn’t have a chance to.

In a matter of seconds he was quickly shoved against the wall of the building and I disappeared. My purse and phone fell to the ground and people ran over to him to see if he was alright. He picked up my purse and my cell phone but it was cracked and when he tried to turn it on there was no picture.

“Great.” He mumbled.

“Are you okay buddy?” A stranger asked.

“I’m fine.” Ryan muttered.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Another asked.

“A vampire took her.” Ryan replied and pulled his cell phone out.

“Someone should call the cops.” Someone else commented.

“I’m on it.” Ryan replied with his cell to his ear, and walked back into the building, still holding onto my stuff. “Holden, they took her!”

“Who?” Holden asked.

“A vampire. I’m not sure who or where they went but it seems our little Bon Temps ally sang like a canary. Take care of it!”

“Consider it done.” Holden said and Ryan ended the call. “All hell’s about to break loose now.” He mumbled to himself.

“Fuck!!!!!” Ryan exclaimed as he walked into the elevator and pressed the button to his floor.

Only seconds later Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Carlisle arrived in front of the building where a small crowd had gathered and was answering questions to the police officers who were taking notes. They remained quiet but overheard the comments about seeing a guy slammed against a wall and his girlfriend being taken by a vampire. He gave his statement to the police but stayed in the building afterwards.

“This isn’t good.” Emmett whispered.

“Alice did you get a glimpse of where they were going?” Carlisle asked.

“Not yet.” Alice replied grimly.

“We need to move.” Edward stated quietly. “Before we look suspicious.”

Suddenly, Eric showed up on the scene and began to covertly sniff the air. He frowned and looked at the police and the crowd. He listened for a few moments but was annoyed at the lack of information. Alice and Edward immediately tensed when they recognized him from the vision.

“What’s with you two?” Rosalie asked. Alice shook her head but Eric noticed and walked over to them.

“Did you see what happened?” Eric asked, oblivious to who they really were.

“No.” Carlisle shook his head.

“Nope.” Emmett frowned.

“Not personally.” Alice commented and Edward frowned.

“What do you mean?” Eric demanded but Emmett stepped in front of Alice.

Eric could tell by their scents they were supernatural beings but he wasn’t sure what kind.

“I need to know what happened.” Eric added but his cell began ringing and he answered it. “Pam. Did you find her?”

“No. I haven’t and nobody knows where the hell she is.” Pam stated, annoyed. “This isn’t good, Eric.”

“The humans here are useless. They keep saying a vampire took her but nobody knows who or where they went.”

“We’ll keep looking.” Pam replied.

“I can feel her torment.” Eric added with a wince. “Call me when you find out something.” He ended the call.

I wasn’t conscious but my thoughts kept replaying a mishmash of recent events like a never-ending movie. It was hard to process everything. It began with an incessant loop of my spontaneous make out session with Ryan. I don’t know what it was but he awakened something in me. It took courage for him to show me the videos knowing that I could have retaliated against him but then he was just doing what he thought was best. He showed me the truth. He always did. I couldn’t fault him for being worried enough about my safety to look at it from behind the scenes nor could I blame him for what he uncovered while he was trying to make sure my safety was secure. He didn’t cheat, he didn’t lie about it—he wasn’t to blame for what Eric did. He felt like shit knowing that showing me the videos meant that it would decimate me, emotionally, but he had to do it because he understood something about me that Eric failed to realize. Good or bad, I always preferred the truth than someone lying to protect me from it. Ryan’s brutal honesty was kinder and more loving than Eric’s covert attempts to protect me. Real love has no secrets. It lays it all out on the table. Eric didn’t but Ryan did knowing that I could turn my back on him for doing it. I hadn’t known Ryan for long but he proved that he was loyal and that he cared for me by giving me what I needed: the truth behind the charade.

I guess the real question was, if I survived this kidnapping, where would I go from here? I was hit with the fact that I was caught between three realities. Eric’s, Ryan’s, and the Cullens’. I didn’t expect anything from Ryan at all because I was certain he was shocked by my reaction at his condo but I was pretty certain that I could very easily start over with him playing a prominent role in my life. He was human and separate from the vampire complications I loathed. He could offer so much normalcy, consistency, and real companionship, even if we only remained friends. I didn’t have to worry about him getting caught up in any vampire drama because it was clear he distrusted them immensely. I could have normal human friendships without the vampire drama if I chose to leave it all behind and walk on he and Caleb’s path—and that was very appealing. However; I tried to make sense of the fact that I had stumbled into meeting an elite group of vampires who were not only unharmed by the sunlight but also seemed to possess advanced humanistic traits not ordinarily found in vampires. Most vampires had the capacity to exhibit human values and feelings as I had witnessed in Bill but; the older the vampire the harder it was to stray from an existence that had become less based on human feelings and more central to the animalistic qualities they encompassed in the conversion.

I craved to be with Bella and her family of empathetic vampires, especially after seeing the videos. They exuded so much compassionate and they showed genuine concern for my safety after only meeting me for a few moments was unusual but it was addictive. The years I lost from my parents and family made me crave the Cullens’ natural charm and affection. My mind replayed Edward’s actions toward Bella over and over. He was exceptionally considerate, affectionate, and selfless. I was faced with an interesting quandary because although I felt that Eric cared for me more than any other human… after learning of his infidelity and his partial ruse in front of what I was sure were Sophie-Anne’s scouts, not only was I aware of the complications I was exposed to due to the vampire _mafia_ he was a part of, I was constantly on the edge of danger, and an inevitable emotional target because of his insatiable appetite for other women. It loomed at the back of my mind, never going away; every image, every angle, every sound—imbedded in my brain and heart. It rocked my moral core that, after meeting the Cullens, it _was_ possible for vampires to be fiercely loyal to their partners but it was a seemingly unattainable dream from the vampire I loved. As far as they were concerned, the Cullens found their soul mates and that was it. In Eric’s world and the regular human world, outside of the Cullen domain, it was a fairly uncommon trait and it was painfully apparent that I was just a temporary fixation until another gorgeous and luscious smelling human suddenly crossed his path.

The Cullens wouldn’t dare taste human blood and they were repulsed by the fact that other vampires did this but I never knew any different. Edward’s love for Bella took precedence over his thirst for her blood and it was an astonishing revelation. If they were capable of refraining from human blood consumption, then it stood to reason that other vampires could... but it all came down to a simple choice: whether they loved their partner more than their own thirst. After recent revelations I doubted Eric’s love for me. He cared for me and even had strong feelings for me but if he loved me then why did he lie to me and cheat on me? It made no sense. I thought the blood tie bonded us together but his recent behaviour only showed that I was his property. It was hard for him to treat me as a companion and to allow human traits to resurface... and I thought he was transitioning and making this possible but as Ryan revealed, I was wrong. I got caught up in a whirlwind romance but I hadn’t stopped to think about the long-term effects of being so intricately connected to such a powerful vampire and how he could manipulate me through the blood tie. While the intimate moments were beyond what I could comprehend we didn’t truly have a normal relationship and now that I found out he betrayed my trust, my heart was shattered and, like Ryan warned me, my world was turned upside down and torn apart. I was so unbelievably broken. I was frightened at how much I had enjoyed the taste of his blood and the sex. I felt almost addicted to him and how the hell could I keep a clear head if I was controlled by that damn blood tie?

The visions of him with Brandie began repeating in my head and it hurt like hell. The only relief I got was from intermittent images of Ryan or the Cullens.

While I was caught up in emotional hell during my kidnapping. Eric looked at Alice expectantly.

“I only got a glimpse.” Alice whispered.

“Please tell me.” Eric asked politely.

“She was talking to her friend Ryan and a few vampires found them. One of them shoved Ryan against a building while another took her.”

“How do you know they were vampires?” He asked curiously.

“They moved faster than most supernatural creatures and their mannerisms were that of a vampire.”

“Where’s Ryan now?” Eric asked with a frown.

“No doubt he’s trying to find her and figure out who took her.” Edward replied.

“I didn’t ask _what_ he was doing—I asked _where_ he was.” Eric snapped.

“Watch your tone with me.” Edward snarled and Emmett stood right next to him.

Edward growled quietly. The humans couldn’t hear him but Eric definitely did. Eric frowned and Carlisle stepped in front of Edward and faced Eric.

“Being antagonistic will not help your cause.” Carlisle stated with a frown. “Nor will it help us find her.”

“Us?” Eric arched his eyebrows.

“She is our friend.” Alice stated quietly.

“You’re the coven she just met.” Eric stated as he put the pieces together.

“And allies.” Carlisle added.

“You’re a very different species from ours.” Eric replied as he sniffed the air again.

“It’s quite a long story how we came into existence but now isn’t the time to discuss it, we are wasting valuable time when we could put our heads together to find Nikki.”

“How come you can’t track her?” Emmett asked. “You have a blood tie, right?”

“Yes.” Eric nodded and noticed the blonde vampire beside Emmett glaring at him. He looked at the others. “But I’m blocked, though I don’t know how…”

“That’s unusual.” Carlisle pondered.

“It’s never happened before.” Eric replied.

“I bet.” Rosalie snapped. “It’s a lot easier to keep your pets on a leash when you can track them through the blood tie.”

“Excuse me?” Eric frowned at her.

“Rosalie… not now.” Carlisle shook his head.

“She’s not just some pet.” Eric retorted. “You have no idea how much she means to me.”

“Then why the hell do you manipulate her by the blood tie and feed off her?” Rosalie asked angrily.

“This is not the time or the place.” Carlisle interjected.

“Whatever.” Rosalie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes while Eric clenched his jaw. “I’m just saying what you’re all thinking anyway.”

“I think we should focus on finding Nikki right now…” Alice added.

“I agree.” Edward replied. “We can come back to that topic later.”

“Oh really?” Eric asked sarcastically.

“Damn straight.” Emmett added.

“Anyway…” Edward interrupted. “I wonder if a witch is involved.”

“I can’t tell.” Alice replied.

“They have the kind of power that can keep someone hidden.” Carlisle surmised.

“The witches I know wouldn’t do that.” Eric replied. “And I definitely have access to a few.”

“I’m sure you do.” Rosalie replied but Alice interrupted.

“I saw a license plate number.” Alice replied quickly to distract Eric from Rosalie.

“You’re precognitive?” Eric asked, surprised.

“Yes.” Alice answered carefully.

Carlisle looked around them to make sure nobody was looking their way. Seeing his intentions, Edward stepped in front of Alice to block her from the human’s view.

“Alice, can you see anything now?” Carlisle asked.

Alice closed her eyes and she got a glimpse of an estate. She kept her eyes closed but answered them in a quiet voice.

“I see a large white mansion that has a huge indoor swimming pool but I don’t see Nikki anywhere.”

“Damn it!” Eric blurted. “That’s my Queen’s estate.”

“Your vampire Queen?” Emmett asked.

“Yes.” Eric nodded and then sighed. “She demanded that I hand Nikki over to her but I pretended like I didn’t know who she was talking about.”

“Thus concocting an elaborate scheme to make it seem like you weren’t associated with her.” Edward commented.

“So you could protect her.” Alice added quickly.

“Yes.” Eric replied grimly.

“But she is unaware of the depth of your scheme and the pertinent details associated with it.” Edward stated with a frown.

“Yes.” Eric’s thoughts were filled with guilt. He hated what he did and it was clear that they knew. “You know?”

“We do now.” Rosalie frowned when she put the pieces together.

They were furious with Eric, Edward especially. He tried to block out the vulgar images that he saw in Eric’s mind. He couldn’t believe what he did and how he treated me. It was clear that he didn’t know what real love was.

In the main entrance of the building, Ryan watched Eric talk with people who seemed very angry with him. Instead of leaving the building like he originally planned, he decided to go back to his condo. What he wanted to do was punch Eric in the face but that wouldn’t go over well and any spells he knew would just draw attention to himself and he couldn’t have that.

Meanwhile when I began to finally regain consciousness I realized I was in the backseat of a car. My wrists were tied behind my back and I could hear people talking. I kept my eyes closed.

“All this fuss over one little human.” A guy commented.

“Not just any human but one that’s supposed to see the future.” Another replied.

Ah, damn it. That’s not how my gift worked at all. I did get visions of the past, present, and future but it wasn’t like pressing a button. I only saw them if they affected me in some way.

“The Queen will love that.” A third added. Fuck! How did the Queen even find out where I was? Who spilled their guts?

“She has a very different scent.” The first one commented.

“Wouldn’t mind sampling.” The third added.

“No! The Queen said not to hurt her.” The second interjected. Phew! “Besides, it’s obvious someone else beat us to it.”

“I bet it’s Northman.” The first one stated enviously.

“He’ll be dead if it was and the Queen finds out he’s been hiding her.” The third replied.

“She doesn’t have Northman’s scent on her though.” The second one added. “Whoever it is—he’s got a different scent.”

“Shifter?” The first one asked.

“No.” The second one replied.

“Vampire?” The third one asked.

“No—if he was a vamp he would’ve caught up to us.” The second one replied.

“Then what?” The first asked.

“Don’t know.” The second answered.

Huh. Maybe Ryan knew a way to cloak his scent from vampires if they couldn’t figure it out. I had to learn that trick. I was so screwed though. How was I going to get out of there? I suddenly thought of Alice. I wondered if I concentrated hard enough if she would somehow be able to get a vision of me or hear me. I focused on reaching her. I let it consume me almost as though I felt it flowing through me, and then something strange happened. The car began to swerve.

“What’s happening?” The first one stated nervously.

“I lost control!” The third one answered anxiously.

“Fix it!” The second one demanded.

“I can’t!” The first one panicked.

The car continued to swerve and then it spun out of control until it went into a ditch. Shockingly enough I wasn’t injured. I opened my eyes and noticed that the vampires were unconscious. I wasn’t going to stay there and wait for them to wake up. I tugged at the restraints on my wrists. It hurt but with the extra strength from consuming Eric’s blood I was able to break out of them. The car was on an angle and I had to push the door open and climb out of it, dragging myself onto the grass. I had just stood up when I heard one of the vampires getting out of the car to stop me. I began running but didn’t watch where I was going and I ended up smacking right into someone. It almost set me on my ass but he steadied me.

“Careful, my dear.” He stated tenderly. I looked up and it was my great, great elf-fairy grandfather, Niall.

“Niall?” I asked, my eyes bulging.

“You know me?” He was shocked.

“I had a vision.” I whispered.

“Of course you did.” He smiled.

Seconds later the vampires caught up to us. I trembled in fear but Niall was oddly calm. He gently pulled me behind him.

“I suggest you turn back and forget about the girl.” Niall stated in an eerily gentle voice.

“Can’t do that old man.” The first vampire stated.

“If you want to live, I suggest you walk away.” Niall added in a fierce tone.

“Not going to happen.” The second one replied and his fangs darted out.

They began to walk toward us, fangs bared, but Niall held out his hands, palms facing them, and a bright light shot out and hit each vampire in the chest. It burned through them, disintegrating their hearts immediately and they dropped dead with blood gushing everywhere. My eyes bulged.

“Omigod!” I exclaimed. “You… you killed them!”

“We are powerful.” Niall commented. “Which is why you must choose your acquaintances carefully.

“I don’t have powers.” I replied and brushed off the idea. “I get visions sometimes but I’m not like a superhero or anything.”

“You have no idea what kind of abilities you do have.” He stated with a slight smile. “They’re lying dormant but they need only to be developed.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“In due time.” He smiled and put a hand on my head.

I felt something shift within the core of my being as though I was being juiced up by a supernatural energy drink. He disappeared only seconds later. I looked around at the dead vampires and knew that I couldn’t stay there. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I got a picture of Alice talking with Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Eric? I focused a bit harder and felt myself release some kind of surge.

Suddenly Alice fell into a trance. She saw me, the dead vampires on the ground, and the car in the ditch. She recognized the road we were on but wasn’t sure how far into the future the vision was or if it was real time. The trance ended but she didn’t have a chance to say anything. Eric immediately felt my presence through our tie, our connection, and he could sense where I was.

“I don’t know what just happened but I know where she is.” Eric stated. “Follow me.”

In a flash, they all disappeared, running toward my location. It didn’t take long for them to find me. I wasn’t surprised to see them, in fact I expected them. I could feel Eric’s anxiety through the blood tie but it did little to calm me or put my heartache at bay. When they did show up they studied the scene of the crash and the dead vampires curiously as they arched their eyebrows. Eric was beside himself when he saw the state of the vampires. He sniffed the air to make sure we were in the clear and then he took a few steps toward me. I shook my head, put my right hand in front of me to keep him back, and I looked at the others. He nodded once, stopped, and then I lowered my hand.

“I didn’t kill them.” I stated immediately.

“Obviously.” Alice smiled. “You’re too kind-hearted to do that.”

“Did they bite you?” Rosalie asked as she stared at my neck.

“No.” I replied and she glared at Eric while she crossed her arms. “But make no mistake I would’ve kicked their asses if I had the power to.” That made Emmett smile. “They threw Ryan against the wall.”

“He’s alright.” Edward interjected. “I heard the witnesses say he got up and immediately got on his cell phone to call the police. He’s very angry.”

“No doubt.”

“Is that _his_ scent that I smell on you?” Eric asked with a twinge of jealousy.

Edward and Alice looked at each other. He just got a glimpse into my thoughts and saw everything. The rest of them looked at Eric and then back at me.

“I hope so.” Rosalie added with a smirk and Eric frowned.

“Shhh…” Emmett whispered to her.

“What happened here…?” Carlisle interrupted and pointed to the scene around us.

“I regained consciousness in the car and overheard them talking about how much the Queen was going to like having someone who could see the future.”

“Fucking bitch!” Eric blurted.

“Dude!” Emmett commented. “Let her finish.”

“Um… yeah so I tried to concentrate to send a signal or something to Alice.”

“I had a picture of the car swerving but then it stopped.”

“It happened after I concentrated. I got scared, and then after the crash I realized what happened.”

“Well?” Emmett asked, motioning for me to continue while Eric studied my every move.

“Patience.” Carlisle responded while Edward already saw what happened and arched an eyebrow.

“I have a great, great, elf-fairy grandfather named Niall. I don’t know how he knew I was in trouble but he saved me.”

“He caused the accident?” Eric asked curiously.

“It appears that way.” Edward replied.

“Elf fairies are very powerful beings. They have an extraordinary range of telekinetic abilities.” Carlisle stated. “But they are not from earth or rather this realm. They exist in a different realm altogether.”

“Then how could he get here or even know she was in danger?” Emmett asked.

“They have secret portals set up on earth.” Eric replied. “But they’re almost impossible to locate or track.”

“How do you know about this?” Rosalie asked.

“My Maker told me.” Eric replied.

“But he didn’t tell you about their abilities?” I asked curiously.

“I knew they were powerful warriors but not that they had supernatural powers.” Eric replied.

“They have a psychic connection to their blood relatives.” Alice added. “I just caught a glimpse of it.”

“He killed the vampires.” Edward stated.

“Yes but he gave them a chance to leave unharmed.” I replied.

“Sophie-Anne will be on a rampage if she finds out you’re involved.” Eric stated grimly.

“Then we don’t let her find out.” Emmett interrupted. “Burn the car and the bodies.”

“It’s not that simple, Emmett.” Carlisle replied. “She will want answers. It was her entourage that kidnapped Nikki in the first place. It’s clear they were massacred and if Nikki is missing she will investigate.”

“We can pretend to be ignorant of it.” Eric replied.

“Only if there is no trace of Nikki’s scent at your condo.” Edward stated.

“She can stay with us.” Alice added.

“Then you can clear out your condo of all traces of her scent and personal belongings.” Carlisle added.

Eric looked at me with a slightly tormented expression. He didn’t want to let me go but he didn’t have a choice. Once Sophie-Anne found out what happened to some of her entourage he knew all too well that she would go to great lengths to find out what happened.

“Eric, is your place still off the grid?” I asked curiously. “Or do they know you live there?”

“They’re still unaware.” Eric replied.

“Then how did they find you?” Rosalie asked.

“I have no idea.” I replied.

“We need to find out.” Edward stated urgently. “So we can cut off that connection.”

“Not if it’s a person.” I frowned.

“Well of course not, silly.” Alice shook her head. “It was probably unintentional anyway.”

“It was probably your new friends.” Eric replied, annoyed.

“They wouldn’t tell anyone.” I retorted. “They’re paranoid about my safety.”

Edward got a glimpse into my thoughts and he nodded his head to Alice and Carlisle.

“I doubt it was any of them.” Edward commented.

“It doesn’t matter how they found out.” Emmett replied.

“He’s right.” Carlisle agreed. “The fact is they had an idea of her whereabouts.”

“She’ll be safer with us.” Rosalie stated to the surprise of everyone.

“She’s right.” Emmett agreed.

“We live in the middle of nowhere and our scent would cloak hers.” Rosalie added.

Eric looked at me again and I could feel the torment and pain through the tie at the mere suggestion of this.

“I need to talk to Eric before I go to your place. It will give me a chance to pack some personal items.”

“Are you sure?” Rosalie asked and I nodded.

“You are welcome to join us whenever you are ready.” Carlisle replied.

“We can wait at the condo if you want?” Emmett suggested.

“Um…” I really didn’t want them to hear everything.

“We will give you some privacy.” Edward interrupted.

“Let us know when you’re ready and we’ll pick you up.” Rosalie stated.

“We’ll have a car ready.” Alice added.

“Thanks.” I nodded.

“No problem.” Emmett commented.

“We should be on our way…” Carlisle motioned for the others to go.

“See you soon.” Alice smiled slightly while Edward nodded once.

“Take all the time you need.” Edward stated and looked at Eric. Oh boy. He knew the truth. He must have seen it.

“Don’t do anything else to hurt her.” Rosalie stated to Eric, out of the blue.

“I wasn’t planning on it.” Eric replied.

“Well that ship’s already sailed….” Rosalie stated, annoyed and then walked away.

“I’m going to get you a great big TV.” Emmett commented. “With a surround sound and everything.”

“Okay…” I smiled. “Thanks?”

“It will get easier.” Alice whispered as she quickly gave me a hug. “I promise.”

“I appreciate everything.”

“You’re welcome.” She answered.

I watched them use their super speed to run away. When we were finally alone, Eric looked at me with a guilty expression.


	8. Dissolution

“Nikki…” Eric began solemnly.

“Not here.” I replied and shook my head.

He nodded, walked over, and wrapped his hands securely around my waist. We took off in the air and only moments later we landed on the balcony of his condo. He left his hands on my waist but I gently removed them and walked over to the patio door and opened it. He followed behind me as I walked inside the condo and closed the door behind us. Landon ran into the room and Darien followed closely behind. When they saw us they were about to say something but Eric put his right hand up and shook his head.

“Leave us.” Eric stated calmly.

“For how long?” Landon asked.

“For a few hours at least.” I replied.

They looked at Eric for approval and he nodded once. They acknowledged his command and left the condo immediately. When we were truly out of anyone’s range of hearing he looked at me with a sad expression.

“You know.” He stated simply.

“Yes.” I replied. “And before you make any assumptions—nobody told me a thing. I had a couple of weird dreams and then a vision.” The expression on his face indicated he was shocked to hear it. I arched an eyebrow. “Why does this surprise you? You know I’m precognitive.”

“I knew in my heart that you would find out eventually.” He replied quietly.

“That’s it?” I frowned. “Not even an apology? Are you fucking kidding me?” I yelled.  
“What do you want me to say? Would you actually believe I’m sorry and I regret it all? That I had to be the vampire I once was so that bitch wouldn’t just take you for herself to use and throw away when she was done? That despite what you may think or feel I hated myself for lying to you and pretending to be the opposite of what you helped me become? That it broke my heart every time I violated your trust and our tie? That I could barely live with myself?”

He was sincere, I could feel it, but it did little to relieve the torment he caused me by _protecting_ me.

“Why didn’t I feel any of it through the blood tie?” I asked curiously.

“I had a witch put a spell on me to block it from you.”

So that’s what Ryan was talking about! No wonder he felt the residual effects of it, it directly affected me.

“Even from the visions?”

“Yes.”

His admission, while sincere, only broke my heart even more. The cheating, the lies, the double life—even though it was all to protect me—it hurt like hell.

“Why is Ryan’s scent all over you?” He asked, as if to redirect the conversation.

“First of all—it’s not _all_ over me, secondly he happened to be there when I got a picture of what you did and he comforted me.”

“I bet he did.” Eric replied sourly.

“Don’t get pissed off at him for something you did!” I retorted.

I wasn’t about to tell him that I kissed Ryan. No way. The shit would really hit the fan then. Part of me wanted to stay angry at him but as hurt and frustrated as I was—I couldn’t let him suffer at the hands of Sophie-Anne.

“Sophie-Anne can’t find out that you lied to her.”

“It’s a moot point now.” He commented.

“No it’s not. When they found me I was with Ryan. It wasn’t connected to you at all.”

“Clearly… I’m sure his scent confirmed that.” Eric snapped. “But she’s not an idiot, she will put it all together.”

“Not if you erase every trace of me.”

“I don’t want to.” He stated firmly.

“You have to or she’ll kill you. I overheard her henchmen. They made it clear you’d be toast if you knew my whereabouts and withheld it from her.”

“I would like to see them try.” He snarled.

Oh boy. He was in full Viking mode and it didn’t matter how powerful a warrior he was—there were consequences for disobeying the Queen. I had a feeling she would stop at nothing to get her way and that meant she wouldn’t play fair. He was so stupidly stubborn that he would fight to the death if he had to. There was only one way to make him see reason, to show him that it wasn’t just his life on the line.

“Maybe, just maybe, this isn’t only about you.” I added. “If they can’t find traces of me then it will throw them off my trail. It gives them less ammunition to use against me.”

“If I get rid of every trace of you then it’s as though I erased our time together.”

“You can’t erase the past. It’s there in our memories forever and they can’t take that away from you.”

“The past?” He frowned. “You’re referring to us in the _past tense_?”

“Yes.” I replied solemnly.

“Because of what I did.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s not just that.” I replied. “As much as I understand the circumstances that led to what you did, you can’t change it. It’s embedded in my heart and it torments me.” Tears fell down my face. “You could’ve honest and told me what was going on before you moved me out here but you didn’t and I asked you several times. I all but begged you to open up and let me know exactly what was going on but you only told me what you thought I could handle.”

“If I would have told you my plan to throw everyone off your trail you would have refused.” He stated firmly.

“If your plan included screwing everyone else to make it seem like you were the same womanizing vampire you had always been—then hell yes I would have refused. In what galaxy would you ever think I’d agree to that?”

“I had no other recourse.” He replied quietly.

“And neither do I.” I replied solemnly. “If I could ignore the blatant violations of my trust, the lying, the cheating, the spell to prevent me from finding out the truth—I can’t ignore that you manipulated me through the blood tie, bit me several times without consent and controlled me to such a degree that you overrode my will. I can’t overlook it not even if I wanted to and the great big slab of icing on the cake is the damn vampire hierarchy that you’re a part of that I want nothing to do with.”

“I can’t help the latter.”

“I know and I’m sorry but it’s something I can’t live with, not anymore. I was naïve to think it wouldn’t affect me or us but it does and I’m not going to go underground and have some kind of clandestine relationship with you; forever living in the shadows or on the run. I won’t do it.”

“You’ll be living on the run anyway…”

“Not with the Cullens.” I replied. “Something tells me they’re not subject to the same vampire monarchy that you are.”

“So that’s your answer? Move in with a strange vampire coven? How do you know they won’t turn on you?”

“Because I’ve seen a glimpse of my future with them.”

“When?” He frowned.

“When what?”

“When did you see this?”

“I’ve been having dreams about them off and on for a while now but I didn’t think they were premonitions because I didn’t know who they were. I just thought I was having strange dreams.”

“Them? You dreamt about all of them?”

“No—just a few but you’re missing the point.”

“Which is?” He asked patiently.

“I’m safe with them.”

“But not with me.” He was hurt.

“You’re not the crux of the problem but you can’t change what is. I’m not permanently writing you out of my life but we can’t go back to what we were. Everything is different now.”

A bloodied tear fell down his face. I could feel his anguish as he felt mine. I wanted to comfort him but I knew that if I allowed myself to be close to him I would fall back into the same web that I just freed myself from. Instead, I sighed, bit my lower lip and walked into the bedroom to gather some of my things. Thankfully, he didn’t follow.

I wept quietly as I filled the suitcases with as much as I could fit in them. I barely left anything. The only things I couldn’t pack very many of were my shoes. There were just too many for any normal person to wear. I sighed when I looked at them. It was hard for me to leave anything behind because I knew that it would hurt him to get rid of them. I bit my lip and took a deep breath. I picked up two of the suitcases and walked into the living room. I looked around the room but I could tell from the blood tie that he wasn’t in the condo at all and my heart ached at the thought I couldn’t even say goodbye to him. Landon and Darien walked into the room only seconds later.

“We can carry those for you.” Darien said as he gently took them from me.

“There are three more in the bedroom.” I replied quietly as I readjusted the purse on my shoulder.

“I’ll get them.” Landon commented and left the room. He returned holding onto all three of them. I looked up at Darien.

Make sure you get rid of my scent.” I stated as a tear fell down my face. “We can’t risk the Queen coming here and smelling it.”

“We’ll take care of it.” He stated somberly.

“Where to?” Landon asked more politely than normal.

I thought about it for a moment. I really didn’t feel like going out to the Cullens at that late hour and there really was only one person that I wanted to see before I moved out to the middle of nowhere… Caleb. Part of me wanted to call Ryan but given my emotional state, I didn’t trust that I wouldn’t be tempted by all of his smoldering sex appeal.

“Follow me.” I replied quietly.

I walked past them, down the hall and then around the corner to the door. I waited for them to exit the condo before I shut the door behind us. I walked toward the elevator and they followed behind me. Landon arched his arched eyebrows, wondering just where the hell I was going but Darien already knew. We walked into the elevator and I pressed the button for the floor just below us. Landon wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Don’t read into this.” I commented. “Caleb is only a friend and I just don’t feel like going for a long drive tonight. I need to sleep.”

They didn’t say anything. I was surprised that Landon didn’t make a snarky comment but I think he, like Darien, almost felt bad for me when they found out the truth of everything that went down and all I suffered. When the doors opened at Caleb’s floor I took a deep breath and inwardly prayed that he was still awake. When we reached his door I paused, took another deep breath, and knocked a couple of times. I wasn’t even sure if he was home but I had to try. He opened it right away.

“You’re safe!” He commented and gave me a quick hug.

When he pulled away he noticed Landon and Darien holding suitcases and then he looked at me curiously.

“Um… I apologize for the last-minute notice but I was wondering if I could stay here tonight?”

“Of course.” He nodded and reached for a couple of suitcases.

Darien handed him the first few and I grabbed the other two from Landon who nodded with an empathetic expression. He didn’t say anything to me but he walked away and waited for Darien at the elevator. Darien looked down at me.

“For what it’s worth I’m sorry about everything.” He stated and walked over to the elevator and got inside with Landon.  
“What was that about?” Caleb asked.

“I’ll explain later.” I replied and followed him inside the condo.

He closed the door behind us and carried the suitcases to the guest bedroom. He set them on the floor while I put the others beside the first three. He looked at me with a relieved expression.

“I heard that the police were investigating the disappearance of a blonde woman. They didn’t release a name but I had a feeling it was you they were talking about.”

“I’m fine.” I replied quietly and sat on the bed. He noticed my neck and the bruises on my wrists and frowned.

“No, you’re not.” He sat down beside me and gently took my wrists into his hands and looked at them. “What happened?”

“Eric’s Queen found out where I was and she sent her goons to get me. I was outside with Ryan and one of them shoved him against the wall while another grabbed me and used their vampire speed to get away without being caught.”

“I’m pretty sure Ryan’s fine.” Caleb replied. “Or the police would’ve given a statement about a man being in the hospital.”

“Edward said he’s fine.”

“Edward?” He asked curiously.

“My friend’s fiancé.” I replied.

“How did you get away?”

“I’m not really sure exactly what happened because I unconscious and bound for most of the drive. I remember the car spinning out of control and then going into a ditch. I had some extra strength from drinking Eric’s blood and I could free myself from the bonds. I dragged myself out of the car and then began running when I heard them coming after me.” “What caused the crash?” He gently touched my arm.

“I’m pretty sure my great, great, elf-fairy grandfather did.” I replied and his eyes bulged.

“Your _what?_ ” He asked, stunned.

“Yeah, I know—it’s a bit trippy if I think about it.”

“You have elf-fairy blood?”

“I guess… I mean I never thought of it that way before but he’s my great, great, grandfather. So it’s not like I have a lot of it or anything.”

“It certainly explains why you’re so appealing to vampires and why you give off an interesting aura.”

“Interesting aura?” I arched an eyebrow.

“You have a very pure, peaceful, vibe I can’t really explain it but I can almost feel it—and that’s a very rare thing. It makes sense now that I realize you have elf-fairies in your lineage. They’re very powerful beings.”

“Oh, I know.” I replied. “I’m pretty sure he caused the crash and he killed the vampires who took me.”

“Elf-fairies are known to be very formidable opponents, in fact, very few stand against them and survive but I’m curious how he came to your aid. I wasn’t aware they were still in this realm.”

“Well I guess elf-fairies have a strong psychic connection to their kin so he was able to sense my distress and used a portal to come and save me.”

“Where was he when your family members were killed?”

“I don’t know…”

“I didn’t realize they have portals to step into our realm?” He asked curiously. “I thought they were all closed.”

“Oh…well I didn’t have a heart to heart with him. He just saved me and, I think, gave me some kind of elf-fairy juiced charge and left. He didn’t give me specifics on anything except that I’m supposed to have some kind of power.”

“What were his exact words?” Caleb asked with a serious expression.

“Why? Is it a big deal?”

“It’s a very big deal for you to have elf-fairy powers and if someone found out about them you could be a target for the nefarious.”

“More than I already am?” My eyes bulged.

“Infinitely more.”

“Oh… um…” I stammered.

“Listen, I get that you’ve been through a hell of an ordeal but you can trust me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I studied him for a moment and felt in my heart that he was indeed trustworthy. I wasn’t sure what it was that prompted me to feel this way but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Caleb would never betray me, nor would the Cullens.

“He said that I had no idea what kind of abilities I had but they were dormant and needed only to be developed. When I asked him to elaborate, he told me he would at a later time.” Caleb stood up and paced around the room.

“That’s pretty ominous if you ask me.” Caleb stated with a furrowed brow.

“What? Which part?”

“The fact that he hints that you have substantial abilities, that they need to be developed, but won’t give you any specifics or details to help you figure them out.”

“It was the first time I’ve ever talked to him and it wasn’t exactly the perfect scenario for a family bonding moment.”

“Did he seem rushed?” Caleb asked curiously.

“Um…” I thought back to Niall’s mannerisms and toward the end, he did seem a bit rushed. “I guess so.”

“Maybe he was worried about being watched and that someone would find out who you are.”

“Did someone give you a handbook on elf-fairies?”

“I’ve done enough research and well it is commonly known amongst the supernatural community that full-blooded elf-fairies don’t like it when members of their species mate with humans—or any other species for that matter.”

“Oh.” I replied. “So they’re like elitists or something?”

“Kind of but it’s really the thought of creating an evil offspring that is a huge threat to the universe and its inhabitants.”

“How could mating with humans create an evil breed of children?”

“If it was someone like Hitler only with vampire and elf-fairy blood…?”  
“Damn. That’s a good point.” I replied.

“So if your great, great, grandfather…”

“Niall…”

“Okay, if Niall was looking out for you from his realm and knew of a secret portal, he would have to be very careful that he wasn’t tracked or he could be followed and an elf-fairy who is hell bent against hybrid children would find out who you are and assassinate you.” Holy shit.

“Wow and I thought that being used as some greedy Queen’s psychic was bad.”

“Well—that would be no picnic but you don’t want to have a showdown with an elf-fairy. They’re the consummate warriors, swift, all-powerful, and brutal.”

“Is there anything that contend with them and win?” I asked curiously.

“A powerful warlock.” He replied. “But those are rare and they don’t readily identify themselves.”

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“To avoid a showdown with other supernatural beings.”

“Jeez. This sounds a lot like The Lord of the Rings and the battles between elves, orcs, and uruk-hai warriors.” 

“You wouldn’t be far off if there was a showdown on earth. It would be just as catastrophic.”

“Wow. Remind me not to befriend any warlocks then.”

“They’re not all bad.” He grinned. “Their origins were pure and good.”

“But like everything…” I added. “There’s always a bad seed of the bunch.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “When you pervert the natural order of certain species or beings—it can create chaos.”

“Sounds just like The Lord of the Rings to me except we don’t have a Sauron to contend with.”

“There are always evil progenies that have the potential to become Sauron.”

“Sometimes I hate this world.” I commented and he grinned. “Why would anyone want to be like Sauron?”

“It’s about power. It’s always about power.”

“Jeez. Why do people get off on having so much power?”

“To certain beings or people with special abilities, it’s like an addiction. Once you get a taste of it you only want more.”

“That’s how I feel about chocolate.” I joked. “But at least chocolate never hurt anyone.” That made him laugh. “In all seriousness though do I have anything to worry about?” Caleb looked at my neck and then sighed.

“It’s not good for you to drink too much vampire blood.” He replied. “If you already have elf-fairy blood then you have the potential to develop great powers but drinking vampire blood can alter its effects in some way. And…”

“And what?”

“Your blood will have a scent and taste that is more appealing than any other human’s blood. It can be intoxicating to vampires and once they get a taste, they will crave it more and more.”

“Well that explains a lot.” I felt my neck and sighed. It’s no wonder Eric acted the way he did. He was obsessed.

“Did they all feed off you?” He asked with an edge to his voice and I fidgeted nervously.

“Um… no.” I shook my head. “I overheard them talking about sampling a taste but one of them said Queen Sophie-Anne forbade anyone from harming me.”

“Then who the hell bit you?” He demanded and I remained silent. He clued in after a moment. “Ah. Eric did.”

“Yes.”

“After you left here yesterday morning.” It wasn’t a question.

“Um…” I lowered my eyes.

“Let me guess… he was pissed off at your insolence and manipulated you through your blood tie?” Ouch. “I’m sure he did a lot more than that too.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I shook my head as a few tears fell down my face.

“Is that why you’re packed?” He asked. “Because I wondered why the hell your bodyguard looked guilty and apologized.”

“He didn’t have anything to do with what Eric did.”

“What did Eric do?”

“He got carried away.” I replied. “I wasn’t really hurt or anything…”

“Did you have a choice either way?” He sat down and looked me in the eyes.

“I guess my consent was implied.”

“It sure as hell _isn’t_ implied—it must be stated.” He replied angrily. “Especially to a vampire. In this state, it is a punishable offense for a vampire to bite a human against his or her will.” Wow he certainly knew a lot. “Let alone initiate sex.”

“Okay, okay… I get it.” I mumbled. “I have enough on my mind right now without thinking about how I was violated, thanks.”

“I’m sorry.” He replied quietly.

“For the record it’s one of the reasons I called it off.”

“What are the other reasons?”

“I just need a break from it all.”

“What specifically?”

“Vampires and all their bullshit.” I blurted.

“Now that we can both agree on.”

“But I found out some disturbing things that pushed me over the edge and the kidnapping solidified it.”

“What disturbing things?”

“You’re going to say I told you so.”

“Doubtful.” He commented.

“Well you warned me in the beginning about having a relationship with a vampire.”

“I did but I’m jaded. I hate most of them.”

“Most?”  
“There are a precious few that are genuinely nice and believe it or not, monogamous with their mates. However, that’s the exception, not the rule.”

“You met one of these vampires?” I asked curiously.

“A while back.” He commented. “When I first moved to the city. I was looking for an interior designer for my condo and one of them overheard me talking to Pogue about it.” I suddenly had a strangely familiar vibe. “She apologized for being intrusive but mentioned that she and a couple of her family members had a knack for interior design and could offer a very reasonable price.”

“And you trusted her just like that?”

“I had a good feeling about her.” He replied. “I set up a meeting with her, and her sister. They were very professional and had a portfolio of previous renovations and designs they had done. Suffice to say I was impressed. They had a keen eye for style and I remember thinking it was odd I never heard of them before. I hired them on the spot and set up another meeting to go over some ideas.”

“Where is their business?” I asked. “I might want to visit them in the future when I get my own place.”

“That’s the thing when everything was said and done I asked for a business card so I could recommend them to others but they said it was just a hobby.”

“What?” My eyes bulged. “I stood up and looked around the room—they designed this?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “And they charged a ridiculously low fee. I don’t even know why they took the job to begin with.”

“Okay… so how does this have anything to do with vampires?”

“I could tell they were different from regular humans but it wasn’t until after the job was done that I found out they were vampires.”

“What? The designer and her sister were vampires?”

“Yes and I was shocked because they had to be the most humane vampires I’ve ever met in my life. They were nothing like what you and I are accustomed to. They met me during daylight hours for the first meeting, they were polite, courteous and very respectful. The second meeting was over dinner and they brought their spouses. When I found out they were all vampires—I had never been more shocked in my life.” Hmmm.

“Was one of them a ridiculously beautiful blonde with a tall, dark-haired, muscular husband?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Holy shit.” I commented. “Wow…”

“What?” He asked curiously.

“You’re talking about Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett.”

“You know them?” He asked, shocked.

“I met them through my friend Bella and her fiancé, Edward.”

“How did that happen?” He asked curiously.

“It was a random meeting at a library.” I replied. “But long story short… that’s who I’m going to stay with.”

“You’re going to live with the Cullens?” He asked curiously.

“Yes.”  
“Wow, small world.” He replied. “Who would’ve thought that when I met Esme Cullen it would inevitably be connected to you down the road?” Huh… clearly Esme didn’t introduce herself as a motherly figure.

I thought about it for a moment and I had a strange feeling kind of like Alice knew all along that I would be friends with Caleb and she created a bond with him so we could all have a connection to each other.

“Well not me.” I replied. “That’s for sure.”

“So… what else did Eric do?” He asked solemnly while changing the subject.

“Screwed everyone as a ruse to _protect_ me.” Tears fell down my face.

“Damn it.” He commented. “Come here.” He pulled me into a hug.

On the other side of town, after taking care of their treacherous ally and stumbling upon the three dead vampires near a car in the ditch on his way back into the city, Holden had just walked into Ryan’s condo.

“Is it done?” Ryan asked.

“Yes.” Holden nodded.

“Then your next task is finding out just where the hell she is.” Ryan replied.

“We may have encountered another problem.”

“What?” Ryan asked impatiently.

“I’m pretty sure she escaped from whoever took her.” Holden replied apprehensively.

“How is that a problem?” Ryan asked with his hands in the air.

“Her restraints were snapped off in the backseat and the vampires who took her were dead in a pool of blood, beside the car, which just happened to be in a ditch.” Ryan’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t think she did it.” Ryan replied.

“Neither do I.” Holden replied. “I’ve never heard of a regular human doing anything like that before.”

“How were they killed?” Ryan asked.

“There were large black burn holes through their chests like someone shot them with a white-hot bullet that had the width of an apple.”

“It definitely wasn’t her.” Ryan replied. “If she had that kind of power I would’ve felt it.”   
“What the hell could do something like that to a vampire?” Holden asked. “A witch? Or paranormal?”

“It’s hard to kill a vampire but all three? One of them surely would’ve been able to use his speed to stop the assailant, unless…”

“Unless what?” Holden asked.

“Unless they were killed simultaneously.”

“How the hell is that even possible?” Holden asked.

“An extremely powerful witch or warlock with the right spell can do it… or…”

“Or???”

“In rare cases there is a supernatural being with enough juice to pull off something like that.”

“Who or what can do that?”

“An elf fairy.”

“An _elf fairy_?” Holden’s eyes bulged. “I thought they were urban legends?”

“No, they are very real but rare and they don’t live on earth.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Holden asked anxiously.

“They’re from another dimension, another realm. They’re fierce, powerful, and a force to be reckoned with.”

“More powerful than ancient witches or warlocks?” Holden asked curiously.

“In most cases, yes, with a few exceptions.”

“Should we be worried?”

“Not us specifically.” Ryan commented cryptically.

“Well that’s vague.” Holden replied.

“If we had an elf-fairy on our ass we would know about it, trust me.” Ryan replied. “They don’t hide in the shadows; they face you head on and they will take you out without much effort.”

“Great, I feel better now.”

“Relax.” Ryan replied.

“Kind of hard to relax. If you’re saying they’re from another dimension, then how the hell did it come here? And why would it take her?”

“Elf fairies have access to secret portals to earth but again—it’s rare and they don’t come here frequently. As for taking her… I have no idea what to think. We have to try to find her first.”

“When someone finds those vampires…” Holden began.

“I know; the shit is going to hit the fan.” Ryan smiled.

“You’re smiling.”

“It’s the least they deserve for kidnapping her.” Ryan replied. “I would have done far worse.”

“Don’t I know it.” Holden commented.

It wasn’t long before Sophie-Anne sent scouts to look for the vampires she sent to fetch me. She stared at the clock and frowned when it was a good four hours past the time they should have arrived with me. She dispatched a few of her most capable assassins and was waiting impatiently for their call. She was looking out the window and frowning when her cell rang.

“Tell me.” She stated coldly.

“The car is in a ditch, the human broke free from the restraints but…”

“But what?” She demanded angrily.

“They’re dead.”

“Who? All of them including her?”

“No. We’re not sure what happened to her but something killed our guys.”

“Something?”

“It blew huge holes right through their chests.”

“Fuck!” She blurted. “What else? Any familiar scents?”

“None but hers.”

“Damn it!” She muttered. “Bring me the bodies and come back to the estate. I’ll have someone investigate.”

“Do you want us to keep looking for her?”

“Do you have a trail to follow?”

“No.”

“Then don’t bother. One of the girl’s friends issued a missing person’s report after you took her. We have to stay off the grid or we’ll be in the hot seat.”

“We’ll be back soon.”

“Good.” She replied and ended the call. “Damn it all to hell!” She muttered and threw something against the wall.

Whatever it was that killed her vampires had major power at its disposal and that meant it was a threat to the vampire community. But what was the connection to me? Why would they take one little psychic girl? What was the motivation behind that?

It didn’t take very long for her assassins to return with the dead bodies of her vampires. She had them carry the bodies to the basement and set them upon three very large tables. She studied the wounds and frowned. She knew no human or vampire killed them. Thankfully she already sent word for her personal vampire physician, specialized in supernatural beings, so that he could conduct an autopsy or at the very least let her know what they were dealing with. He arrived within minutes of the bodies being put on the tables. He used his vampire speed to perform the autopsy, making notes of every pertinent detail. When he finally finished he looked at her with a grim expression.

“You’re not going to like this.”

“I’m already pissed, just tell me.” She blurted angrily.

“There are only two beings that could have done this and both are equally fearsome.”

“Go ahead.” She motioned for him to continue.

“A warlock with a powerful lineage or an elf-fairy.”

“Damn it.” She muttered. It was as she feared.

“No other being has the unique ability to send a powerful surge through a vampire’s body to the extent that their internal organs explode.”

“You’re absolutely certain?”

“I have no doubt. The amount of power or energy required to do this can only come from a warlock with a lineage that dates back centuries or a mature elf-fairy. In my five centuries studying the many species of supernaturals—I am positive that no other beings are capable of doing this… except…”

“Except?” Her eyebrows arched.

“Although it’s extremely rare… a demon can do this.”

“A _demon_? An actual demon from hell?” She balked at the idea.

“Surely you’re not that ignorant.” He commented.

“Demons aren’t real.” She replied.

“They most certainly are and you would do well to educate yourself about them. Very few beings, if any, can stand against a demon.”

“Do you think this was demonically induced?” She asked curiously.

“No, if it was a demon there would be a great deal of burnt flesh. It would be substantially more gruesome.”

“Is that typical?” She asked.

“For a demonic wound? Yes. They’re evil.”

“More so than any other supernatural creature?”

“They’re on an even keel with a dark warlock.”

“Dark warlock? How do they differ from regular warlocks?”

“Dark warlocks are those who practice the dark arts or black magic. They have regular contact with demons and summon them. They are few but extremely fierce. You don’t cross them and survive.”

“Are they a real threat?”

“Demons and dark warlocks are very rare. If there was a real threat we would know about it. It’s safe to say we have nothing to be worried about.”

“But according to you a warlock or an elf-fairy killed my vampires.”

“True but given the fact your human wasn’t killed along with your vampires I don’t think we’re dealing with something evil.”

“Apparently, the bonds were broken and it appears she was released.”

“Released or kidnapped?”

“I don’t know.” Sophie Anne sighed.

“What’s so special about this human that you’re going to such lengths to have her?”

“She’s precognitive and would be an asset.”

“What do you know about her lineage?” The doctor asked curiously.

“Not much.”

“Anything to indicate the source of her precognition?”

“No, I think it’s random.”

“Abilities like that are never random, there is always a source, and given the execution of your vampires, it’s safe to conclude you’re not the only one who sees her as an asset.”

“Figures.” She muttered.

“Tread lightly.” He commented and she nodded once.

Once the doctor left she sighed, pulled out her cell phone, and dialled furiously.

“This is Eric.” He replied calmly.

“Stop whatever you’re doing and get here as soon as possible.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

“I have to tie up a few loose ends but I’ll leave as soon as I can.”

“Good.” She disconnected the call.

I stayed in Caleb’s embrace for a good half hour. I didn’t want to move. I just wanted to be comforted and forget about everything. For some reason he and Ryan had the ability to distract me from the torment I felt.

I almost began to fall asleep so I pulled away for a moment but it felt like I was going to fall asleep sitting up. The culmination of events leading up to that moment overwhelmed me and I was on information overload. I needed to rest.

“You should rest.” He replied. “It is very late and you’ve been through a hell of a lot.”

“Yeah.” I nodded once. “But hey…” I grabbed his hand quickly. “Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled.

He left the room, closing the door behind him and a wave of pain hit me from out of nowhere and I began to involuntarily cry. I tried to be quiet so that Caleb wouldn’t come back in. I was pretty sure that it wasn’t just my pain I was feeling but that of Eric’s because the potency of it came directly through the blood tie.

One floor up from Caleb’s condo… Eric was standing in his bedroom looking at the empty dresser drawers and the shoes I left. His cell phone was still in his hand after he hung up with Sophie-Anne. His cheeks were covered with bloodied tears but he said nothing. Not a word.

“Is there anything we can help you with?” Landon asked from the doorway.

“Get rid of them.” Eric pointed to the shoes. “I don’t care what you do with them—just get them out of here.”

Eric left the room in a huff and stood in front of Darien who noticed the bloodied tears but didn’t say anything.

“I want every trace of her scent erased from that room. I don’t care if you have to repaint it or redecorate it—get rid of it!” Darien nodded once.

“Got it.” Darien replied and Eric walked out to the balcony and took off in the air.

“What should I do with these?” Landon asked, holding bags of the shoes I left.

“Just leave them with me and I’ll make sure she gets them.” Darien commented.

“I’ve never seen him like this before.” Landon remarked.

“He’s never been in love before.” Darien replied.

“You think she means that much to him?”

“Are you blind? Couldn’t you tell?” Darien asked.

“I just thought it was a role he was playing. He was always charming with the ladies.”

“No, this was different. Very different.”

“What is it about her?” Landon asked. “She has a very definitive scent and vibe. She’s not like other humans.”

“No, she isn’t, and that’s why he loved her.” Darien remarked.

“It never ends well with vampires and humans.” Landon replied and left the bags at Darien’s feet before leaving the room.

“Never say never…” Darien replied quietly but Landon didn’t hear him.

I wasn’t sure how long I cried but I thought about Caleb holding me and it somewhat relieved the pain, there was something so soothing being there. It was different from when Ryan comforted me. I actually felt a real peace and calm come over me. I felt a bit better than the moment before when I couldn’t stop sobbing. I wiped my face and closed my eyes for a moment.

“I wish I could make it go away.” He stated gently from the doorway.

“You’re doing everything you can and believe me it’s a big help.” I replied quietly and he nodded. “You should get some sleep. I’ll be okay.”

“You’re sure?” He asked.

“I’m sure.” I smiled slightly.

“Okay.” He forced a smile and then shut the door behind him.

His earlier comment resonated with me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It echoed in my head. I felt something deep within my spirit and I went into a trance. It had to be in the future because my hair was a completely different colour or colours. I had red streaks in my blonde hair and a lot of interesting layers. He was telling me the exact same thing. That he wished he could make the pain go away. Before I had even a remote idea of what he was talking about the vision ended and I blinked a few times. Maybe I was just losing my mind. Too much trauma can affect someone’s perception and I was certain that mine was grossly skewed.

I looked at my wrists. The bruising was still there but it appeared to be fading. That had to be the effects of the vampire blood. I thought about what Caleb said and I wondered if the strength I had to break the restraints wasn’t just the vampire blood but part of my elf-fairy lineage as well. I didn’t know anything about my heritage but it might be a good idea to do some research when I got to the Cullens. I sorted through my suitcases and found a pair of casual pants and a t-shirt I could wear to bed but I had to have a shower first. I went into the ensuite and ran the water. I got undressed and I noticed the bruises on my body after the altercation with the vampires. They must have moved a bit too quickly when they kidnapped me. I sighed and tried to ignore what I saw staring back at me in the mirror. I got into the shower and slowly washed away the dirt, the sweat, the crud and the tension from the hell I went through. When I was done, I towel dried my hair, put on my outfit and brushed my teeth. Then I climbed under the covers of the bed and passed out.

At that exact moment, Eric arrived at Sophie-Anne’s estate. He clenched his jaw just moments before approaching a few of her henchmen who were guarding the front door. When he got closer they didn’t stop him, they immediately let him in and closed the door behind him. He inwardly braced himself for the boom that was about to hit. One of her entourage met him in the hall and led him to her indoor pool. He walked into the pool room and remained expressionless as she fed from the femoral artery of a female human who was sprawled on a lawn chair. He didn’t bat an eye. He stood back and sighed.

“You wanted to see me?” He commented in a calm, controlled, voice.

She stopped feeding and turned to face him as she licked the blood off the lips of her mouth.

“Took you long enough.”

“I came as quickly as I could. I was busy with an acquaintance, like you…” He motioned to the woman on the lawn chair.

Sophie-Anne was wearing a two piece, white, bikini which she promptly covered with a robe after she stood up and motioned for Eric to follow her. He did as she asked and followed her to her basement where she proceeded to show him the bodies of her vampires.

“What the hell?” He frowned and looked down at her. “Who the fuck did this?”

“I was hoping you could answer that.”

“How the fuck would I know?” Eric commented.

“You have connections in Alexandria… perhaps you heard something.”

“I didn’t hear about _this_.” Eric stared at the chest wounds with a furious expression.

“Tell me what you do know.” She demanded.

“About what specifically?” He asked.

“You know.” She snapped.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking.” He replied coolly.

“Your pet.”

“Which one?” He asked with a puzzled expression.

“The precognitive one.” She replied. _Oh boy,_ he thought _, here we go._

“As I have already told you… she’s not my pet.” He replied annoyed.

“Tell me what you know about her.”

“I already told you about this. She’s a frigid, obstinate, human who won’t give into my wiles.”

“Where is she?” Sophie-Anne demanded.

“How the hell would I know?”

“I sent them to acquire her…” She pointed to the bodies on the tables. “…and now she is missing.”

“Ask your other vampires.”

“They don’t know.”

“If they don’t know then I sure as hell have no clue who is responsible for this massacre but whatever it is I doubt it’s human.”

“Whatever it was that killed my vampires—it’s powerful.”

“And you think the frigid human is responsible? That’s preposterous.” Eric scoffed.

“She’s missing, her restraints were broken off, and left at the scene.”

“There is no way that tiny little human could have done it.” He shook his head.

“How are you so sure?” She asked suspiciously.

“During my previous interactions with her I would have noticed if she had powers.”

“Why would you know?”

“Because I was relentlessly trying to seduce her and it frustrated her to no end. If she had special abilities she would have kicked my ass—she sure as hell wanted to.”

“Why were you so obsessed with pursuing her?”

“Because she has a nice ass, tits, and smells delicious.”

“You could have just taken her.” Sophie-Anne replied. “Who would have stopped you?”

His blood boiled at the thought of her callous remark but he kept his composure.

“She was being watched too closely by her human friends. It would have been reported to the human authorities.”

“We _do_ have to be careful.” She nodded and then sighed. “What do you know about her lineage?”

“She has two cousins both of which live in Bon Temps.”

“One of which is a telepath.” Sophie-Anne commented.

“Rumoured telepath.” Eric replied as he rolled his eyes.

“Just like your pet is _rumoured_ to be precognitive.”

“Again, she’s not my pet, I haven’t seen anything to indicate that either one of them have a special ability.”

“It would explain Bill Compton’s obsession to be monogamous with his pet.”

“I don’t understand any vampire’s obsession to be monogamous.” Eric replied. “There are just too many delicious humans to go around.”

“My sentiments exactly.” She agreed. “But if his pet is a telepath she would give off a different scent and have a more appealing taste.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Do you know anything at all about the lineage of these Stackhouse’s?”

“All I know is that their parents died, when they were children, in separate incidents.”

“What incidents?” Sophie-Anne arched an eyebrow.

“Sookie’s parents died in a flash flood and Nikki’s parents died in a house fire.”

“Nothing else?”

“No. Bill doesn’t know anything else either, I’ve already asked him.”

“Then we have a serious problem because whatever killed my vampires is something that poses a threat to us all.”

“Or something that is protective of her.”

“Why do you say that?” Sophie-Anne asked.

“She was loosed from her bonds and her captors were killed. It’s not hard to make the connection.”

“I think our primary concern is that a more powerful being has taken her.”

“What being?” Eric asked.

“My personal physician has narrowed it down to a powerful warlock or elf-fairy.”

“I wasn’t aware we had either in our jurisdiction.”

“Neither did I.” She replied grimly. “Look into it.”

“Very well.” He nodded once and she motioned for him to leave. He did so immediately.

I slept partly through the day and I expected Caleb to wake me up but he didn’t. He left a note for me on the outside of the guest bedroom door stating that he had business to attend to but to help myself to the food in the pantry and kitchen, and he left me a guest key in case I needed to stay a bit longer. That was incredibly sweet. I smiled when I thought about it. I quickly had something to eat but I was restless. I couldn’t sit still and I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan. I didn’t have my phone or my original purse that had my Ids, credit cards or everything else I needed. The only way I was going to be able to see him was to go to his condo but I wasn’t sure if it was being watched by Sophie-Anne. I tried to concentrate to see if I could get a vision of anything but nothing came to mind. I sighed and picked up the cordless phone in Caleb’s living room. I dialled Bella’s phone number, hoping that I could reach someone. She picked it up on the first ring.

“Hello?” She asked puzzled. She must have seen the caller ID.

“Bella, it’s me, Nikki.”

“Omigod.” She exclaimed. “How are you? I was worried about you last night.”

“Considering everything I’m okay, I guess…”

“Alice said… um…” Bella stammered.

“Let’s get into _that_ later.” I replied. “Is Alice there?”

“Yeah… she’s reaching for the phone.” Bella replied and I had to laugh. Of course she knew I would be calling. “I’m going to put you on speaker.”

“Nikki!” Alice stated excitedly. “How are you feeling?”

“You mean you haven’t seen it?” I joked.

“I don’t see everything. I see a lot but only some pictures here and there.”

“Did you see my conversation with Caleb?”

“Oddly no. I did see you going to his condo and talking but I wasn’t privy to the subject matter.”

“I’ll have to fill you in later then.”

“Definitely.” She replied. “But you’re not coming back right now, are you?”

“No. I was hoping to see Ryan and let him know I’m okay but I wanted to make sure that I’m not going to be kidnapped again.”

“I seriously doubt it.” Alice replied. “I had a picture of the Queen telling her minions to stand down because she wasn’t sure what attacked her vampires last night.”

“Good.” I replied.

“Um… do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Yeah… what do you mean?” Bella asked curiously.

“I saw that kiss.” Alice replied and I turned red. “Or rather… all the kissing.”

“What?” Bella asked in shock. “What kissing?”

“Um…” I stammered. “I got caught up in the moment.”

“So did he, apparently.” Alice commented.

“He didn’t do anything wrong.” I replied.

“Neither did you.” She added quickly.

“What kissing?” Bella asked again.

“Nikki kissed Ryan yesterday.” Alice replied.

“Nice.” Bella replied.”

“Well it wasn’t fair to Eric or Ryan.”

“I don’t care about what’s fair to Eric.” Alice replied coldly. “Not after what I saw.”

“So you know about what he did.”

“Yes and none of us are impressed.” Bella added.

“It took a lot to keep Edward from punching Eric in the face last night.” Alice stated solemnly.

“Wow.” I replied. “I didn’t think he cared that much.”

“You’re like a sister to us, a part of our family, what hurts you hurts us.”

“Um… you just met me…”

“I’ll elaborate more when you come to live here…” She replied.

“Okay… I guess it wouldn’t help matters if you got a comprehensive view of what hurt me either.”

“Exactly.” She replied. “But you shouldn’t feel guilty about Ryan. He genuinely cares about you.”  
“You saw that?”

“I saw enough.” She sounded happy. “But how do you really feel?”

“I don’t know. It’s like he brought something different out of me yesterday but I feel like it was too soon and I was on the rebound.” I replied. “I like him and he’s obviously attractive—but my heart is in a million pieces right now. I can’t even think about being with someone else.”

“She has a point.” Bella stated. “She needs space and a break from all of it.”

“True.” Alice agreed, reluctantly.

“Oh… and when were you going to tell me you knew Caleb and his friends?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to tell you too much before you were ready to hear it. It can be unsettling to have someone tell you your future.”

“And you knew I was going to be friends with him?” I asked. “Is that why you met him?”

“Yes.” She replied unapologetically. “He’s going to be one of your closest friends and allies.”

“You’re not going to elaborate on that, are you?”

“I don’t know any more than that, actually.”

“Fair enough.” I replied.

“You better get going.” Alice commented. “Ryan’s pacing around his condo trying to figure out what happened to you.”

“Wow, thanks for giving me a play by play.” I joked. “I thought you couldn’t see everything?”

“I can’t—for some reason when it comes to Ryan and Caleb I only get minor glimpses or little pictures.”

“That’s weird.” I replied.

“Well—not really. If it’s not going to affect you directly I might not tune into it at all.”

“My precognition works similarly.” I replied.

“Look, get over there and put him out of his misery.” Alice interjected. “We’ll pick you up later this afternoon.” She replied. “You don’t need to call.”

“Wow. It is a bit trippy for you to know almost everything about me.”

“At least you know you can trust us.”

“That’s true.” I smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Nikki! See you soon.” Bella added.

“Can’t wait.” Alice beamed and then disconnected the call.

Well I wasn’t going to be bored living with them, that was a guarantee. I cleaned up my mess and put the dishes in the kitchen sink before I got dressed in a fresh outfit, put my hair back in a ponytail and brushed my teeth. I grabbed the key that Caleb gave me and I put it into my jacket pocket before I put on a pair of casual shoes, locked the door and left the condo. I didn’t really want to use the elevator but I didn’t want to walk down what felt like a ridiculous number of stairs only to be winded when I got to the bottom. When I got to the ground floor, I put on a pair of sunglasses that were tucked in my jacket pocket and I carefully avoided anyone lingering in the foyer. I didn’t recognize them anyway and I wasn’t getting any bad vibes so I continued walking through the foyer out through the main entrance. I was thinking about walking to Ryan’s place but that was on the other side of the city and I was still a bit tired from the events the night before. I hailed a taxi and I almost let it pull up beside his building but instead I had the driver park around the corner. I paid him from my secret stash of money that Eric gave me and I quietly got out. I carefully studied everyone in the vicinity of his building but I didn’t get a vision of anything or any bad vibes. Thankfully, the moment I was walking into the building someone was walking out and held the door for me which meant I didn’t need to ring the doorman or Ryan’s condo. I wanted to surprise him and I didn’t want to make a big deal about my return. I took the elevator to his floor and I took a deep breath when I walked to his door. I was about to knock on it when the door opened and a tall guy with short sandy brown hair stared down at me curiously.

“Can I help you?” He asked suspiciously.

“Um…” I removed my sunglasses and smiled awkwardly at him. “Is Ryan here?”

“Are you Nikki?” His eyes bulged. Wow. He felt something emanate from me and he suddenly understood the obsession.

“Um, yeah… it’s me.”

“Who is it?” Ryan called out and the brown-haired guy ushered me inside.

“It’s me.” I commented as I walked into the main living room.

“Holy shit!” Ryan exclaimed and ran over to me. He picked me up and hugged me against him. “I’ve been worried sick about you!”

Holden watched the entire interaction like it was a scene from the Twilight Zone. He didn’t know what to make of it. He almost felt like a third wheel. Ryan put me down and motioned to Holden.

“This is my associate, Holden.” Ryan stated and I waved and smiled awkwardly.

“Nice to finally meet you.” Holden replied. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“Make sure to check the parameters of the building to make sure nobody followed her.” Ryan stated.

“I already did that.” I interjected and they arched an eyebrow. “I’m safe.”

“How do you know for sure?” Holden asked.

“I trust my gut.” I replied simply, not letting on to anything.

“Good enough for me.” Ryan replied and nodded to Holden.

“Okay, I’ll check in with you later.” Holden stated to Ryan and then looked at me. “Nice meeting you.”

“Same here.” I replied quietly.

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked urgently. “I heard that someone killed the vampires and I was worried about you.”

“I got away.” I replied. “With some help.”

“Who?” He asked curiously.

“Some friends…” I commented.

“I saw some people talking to Eric outside my building, they looked angry.”

“They found out what he did so yeah they were pissed.”

“Were they the same ones you were trying to call before you were kidnapped?”

“Yes, actually.”

“And they’re the ones who helped you get away…?”

I didn’t want to tell him about Niall, it was just a bit too much to get into, and I had enough emotionally draining conversations for a while.

“Yes, they did.”

“They’re not human, are they?” Oh boy.

“They’re vampires.” I replied.

“Seriously?” He frowned.

“They’re not like Eric or the others.”

“Apparently. They looked pretty normal to me.” He commented.

“They’re probably more humane than some humans I know.”

“Wow, that’s saying a lot.”

“Tell me about it.”

“So...” He was hesitant but I could tell he wanted to talk about what happened.

“I left Eric last night.”

“I figured you would…how are you?” He put his hands on the side of my arms. _Whoa._ I liked it way too much.

“I’m a mess to be honest.” I admitted quietly and he pulled me into a hug. I revelled in his touch, his scent.

He held me quietly for a bit. Neither one of us moved, we just held onto each other. It almost felt too good to be true. In the midst of my emotional hell—he made me feel better, loved, wanted, and safe.

Ryan didn’t want to let me go. He enjoyed holding onto me. In the midst of trying to comfort me he himself was comforted and it wasn’t something he was accustomed to. The longer I remained in his embrace the closer we felt to each other. The darkness within him felt a stronger, alluring, intoxicating aura emanate from me. It was more pronounced than the night before and he could feel its effect on Ryan, it just wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, finally.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Feels like it.” He admitted. “It felt like all hell broke loose after I showed you the videos.”

“I’m so thankful you did.”

“You are?” He pulled away and looked into my eyes.

“You cared about me enough to be honest—even though you knew it would devastate me. I could have retaliated. It could have backfired in your face but you did it anyway.”

“I just hated the idea that you were so loyal to someone who wasn’t loyal to you. You deserve better.”

“I guess after a while you settle for certain things because it’s all you know. There’s a strange comfort in what’s familiar even if it’s dysfunctional. When it’s all you know, you get used to it.”

“I guess.” He commented. “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.”

“That’s an interesting way to put it.” I replied. “But accurate.”

“So where do you go from here?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” I mumbled. “I can’t really see ahead of me right now.”

“That makes sense, given the circumstances.”

“I’m sorry about yesterday…” I commented quietly. “I didn’t mean to cross the line. It was a bit inappropriate.”

“I’m not sorry at all.” He replied assuredly.

“You’re not?”

“Why would I be? We have common backgrounds, get along very well, and clearly we’re attracted to each other.”

“You’re not wrong…” I replied quietly.

“You can stay here with me.” He shocked himself with his impromptu offer and I arched an eyebrow.

“What?” I asked in shock.

“I’m serious.” He replied and gently took my hand.

“I know... but…?”

“But what? You’d be safe here.”

“I don’t doubt that but… um… well it’s a bit sudden, isn’t it?”

“Maybe it is but I trust what I feel. Don’t you feel the same way?” He asked.

Maybe he had a point. We got along very well, enjoyed similar hobbies, and interests, and we definitely were attracted to each other but in my heart it felt like something was missing, and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to move on yet, not after the fiasco with Eric and my heart in emotional shreds. Attraction or not… I had to heal.

“It’s not that. It’s too… soon. I just broke up with Eric last night. Whatever he did to instigate it doesn’t just magically erase my feelings or my bond to him. I need time to heal.”

“You’re right.” He replied. “I hate it when you’re right.” He released my hand from his.  
“You’re the one who is usually right.” I added quickly.

“Not in this case.” He replied. “Where are you going to stay?”

“Actually, I’ve got it covered.” I replied. “I’m going to stay with my friends at their place out of town.”

“You sure?”

“Yes but thank you.” I nodded. “It’s very generous but their scents will hide mine from the other vampires and it will keep me off their radar. Additionally, since there are so many of them, I have more than enough protection that any little human could want.”

“Good.” He nodded. “When are you leaving?” He asked curiously.

“Later today.” I replied and bit my lower lip.

“I see.” He looked a bit disappointed.  
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” I replied. “I’m not going to ignore you or anything. I _will_ stay in touch.”

“Here.” He said as he handed me my purse and cell phone. “I figured you’d want them back.”

“Oh, thanks.” I smiled and then looked up at him. “Are you pissed at me or something?”

“No. I was just worried that something happened to you.”

“Are you angry I’m not staying here?”

“I’m disappointed, yes, but it makes sense. You need to be off the grid and out of sight. For some reason, you seem to be a target for the nefarious.” Hmm. Caleb used the same phrasing earlier.

“I can’t deny what you say is true.” I replied hesitantly.

He hugged me and breathed in my scent. I was content to stay there, revelling in his hug again, but I felt something odd. A strange twinge in my spirit and I didn’t know what it was. An odd sensation came over me. He must have felt it too because when he gently pulled away he looked at me curiously.

“That’s weird.” He commented.

“What?” I asked, pretending to be ignorant.

“I just had this weird feeling.” He replied.

“Um, yeah me too.” I commented casually. “It could be just the stress rolling off of me.” I added, brushing it off.

He stared into my eyes and then looked me over.

“You seem different. Did they do anything to you?”

“Who? The vampires?”

“Yes.”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Your aura has changed a bit.”

“My _aura_?” I asked with wide eyes. “Are you sure it isn’t just the effects of drinking Eric’s blood?”

“It could be.” He replied. “Especially a vampire that old, the blood would have a powerful effect on you.”

“Don’t worry—I won’t be drinking any more of it.”

“I’m not dissuading you—sure you have to be careful so you don’t get addicted to it but I think for you it may help if you have to defend yourself against someone or _something_ else.” That was an odd comment to make.

“Okay…” I mumbled. “Anyway… as I was saying. I’m not going to just ignore you. I’ll get a new cell and stay in touch.”

“Good.” He replied. “I put another business card in your purse.”

I looked up at him again and sighed. It was hard to walk away from him. Part of me wanted to take him up on his offer but I knew I couldn’t drag him into my mess. I had to keep him out of it, I had to protect him from it.

“I should go.” I mumbled.

“Do you want to?”

“No.” I admitted. “But I should…”

“But can I ask for one thing?”

“Sure.” I smiled slightly.

“Can I kiss you before you leave?” Um wow. Did he just ask permission to kiss me? That was new.

I didn’t expect that but I didn’t want to say no either. There was an odd war was raging inside of me. I didn’t regret kissing him the day before but I felt it wasn’t right to do anything on the rebound—it wasn’t fair to anyone, especially him. However, I couldn’t deny the attraction to him and after what Eric did to me, I sure as hell wasn’t going to feel guilty about it. Maybe it would be okay to kiss him one last time, just to get it out of my system…

“You don’t think it’s weird to kiss me goodbye?”   
“No, it’s not a goodbye, it’s an _until I see you again_ kiss.” He said as he put his hands on the side of my face.

“Promise?” I asked.

“Definitely.” He smiled. “Well?”

“Go ahead…” I mumbled and he didn’t waste time.

It was more intense than the previous day. There was an urgency in the kiss like he couldn’t get enough and lost myself in it. My hands were around his waist and up his back and his hands moved down to my waist, holding me against him. I didn’t want it to stop, in fact, there was a part of me that felt like ripping off my clothes and pushing him on the floor but a slight hesitation rose up in my spirit and I very slowly pulled away.

“What is it about you?” He asked. “You’re almost addictive.” Oh boy, I knew the answer but I couldn’t tell him the truth.

“You’re one to talk.” I replied. “You drip with sensuality.”

“Then why stop?” He asked and grabbed my hand. “Why leave right now? Why not make the most of this?”

Oh hell that was tempting. I was almost overcome with the sexual tension between us. I actually considered it for a moment but then, suddenly, I remembered I wasn’t on birth control. It wasn’t something I had to worry about with Eric, but I certainly did with regular human men and I wasn’t ready to get knocked up. If it wasn’t for that I would have taken him up on his offer.

“I want to but I can’t.” I replied and shook my head.

“Why?” He asked tenderly. “Am I making you feel uncomfortable?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I just think I need to be careful about the timing of everything right now.” I replied.

“Are you sure?” He asked and gently grabbed both of my hands.

“Yes but I’m sorry to let you down.” I replied and let them go.

“You haven’t let me down at all.” He replied. “I just don’t want to let you go.”

“If this is real.” I pointed to him and I. “Then the distance will make it grow stronger.”

“Stop being so damn level-headed.” He joked. “It’s annoying.”

“One of us has to use common sense over our hormones.”

“Touché.” He grinned. “Come here.” He gave me a hug and gently kissed me again before pulling away. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

I put my broken cell into my purse and I walked toward the door. He followed me and opened it for me.

“Try not to stay away too long.” He said quietly.

“I’ll stay in touch, I promise.”

“You better.” He replied and I gave him another quick hug before I darted out of the condo toward the elevator.

He waved at me until the elevator doors closed and then he sighed and close his door. He was frustrated, not just sexually, but he knew there was something very different about me since I had been kidnapped. He felt it when he stood in front of me. It almost resonated from me, a strange kind of… _power_. He thought about it for a moment and then he remembered the familiarity of it. It wasn’t until I was at the ground level of the building when he finally realized why it felt so familiar. The last time he sensed that kind of power was when he interacted with an elf-fairy. It had been years since he crossed paths with one and I reminded him of it. His eyes bulged when the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. If I had elf-fairy blood and vampire blood, it would give off a very prominent and powerful aura. It almost hypnotized him and that’s why he almost felt intoxicated in my presence. It definitely explained why Eric had an unusual infatuation with me.

When I exited the building, Alice was leaning against a very expensive car and smirking at me. She must have seen something because her expression said it all.

“You saw?”

“Not everything but wow you two have amazing chemistry.” She smiled and opened the door to the backseat for me.

“He’s almost addictive.” I replied. “It’s very unsettling.”

“I bet.” She laughed as I closed the door behind me. Jasper was in the driver’s seat.

“Hey Jasper.”

“Hi.” He too smirked and then looked straight ahead.

I looked to the top of the building. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to see me but I waved anyway, in the off chance he could somehow make it out. Then we drove to Caleb’s to pick up my stuff.

Ryan smiled as I waved up at him. He knew I wouldn’t be able to see him so he didn’t bother waving but he certainly wasn’t going to lose contact with me. Not if he had anything to say about it. But first he had to do some research.

When we got to Caleb’s place he still wasn’t there but oddly enough, Alice and Jasper weren’t able to enter his apartment. They looked at each other with a strange expression.

“I think he used a spell to keep vampires out.” Jasper stated as he looked at Alice.

“But we’re the good vampires.” She stated.

“I don’t necessarily think he was trying to keep _you_ out.” I replied. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I left the door open and then quickly gathered all of my things and my luggage. I wrote him a quick note, leaving Bella’s phone number in case he wanted to get in touch with me. Then I thanked him for all of his hospitality. I picked up the luggage much easier than I had the previous night but I thought nothing of it, and I put all of it on the floor just outside his condo. I locked the door and then put the key into my purse. Alice arched an eyebrow as she picked up two of the suitcases.

“What?” I asked curiously.

“You have a key to his condo?” Alice had a big grin on her face.

“In case I need a place to stay.” I replied and Jasper smirked.  
“Well you are single now…” He joked.

“Stop assuming things. We’re just friends.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Alice replied and Jasper smirked while he picked up the other three suitcases.

When we got into the elevator, Darien was inside, with two large bags on the floor beside him.

“Oh…hey.” I mumbled.

“I thought you should have these…” He commented and Alice looked at Jasper with a grin.

“What are they?” I asked.

“Shoes.” Darien replied. “I didn’t want you to leave them behind.”

“Oh, well…thank you.” I smiled.

“I’ll help you carry them to the car.” Darien offered.

“Thank you.”

I felt that familiar twinge of pain again… the dull ache that reminded me no matter how much I enjoyed kissing Ryan, the hole Eric left in my heart hurt like hell and it came crashing back and tore through me like a bullet. Jasper winced and looked over at me. A tear fell down my cheek and Alice put an arm around me.

“It will get better, trust me.” She whispered.

“I hope so.”

Darien felt bad for me again but he didn’t say anything. When we arrived at the main floor he followed us out to the car and he put the shoes in the trunk while Alice and Jasper put the luggage in the backseat.

“Thank you.” I stated to Darien before I got in the car.

“I wish you all the happiness this world has to give.” He replied and then abruptly walked away.

“Wow.” I commented.

“He meant that.” Jasper replied. “He was very sincere.”

“I know.” I sighed and got into the car.

“He knows what happened.” Alice whispered.

“Yes and he feels guilty for Eric’s actions.”

“It’s not his to feel guilty about.” Alice stated, annoyed. “It’s all on Eric.”

“I know.” Jasper replied. “What do you make of Ryan?” Jasper asked curiously.

“I don’t know much about him other than they have great chemistry. I know he loves her though.”

“Yeah, I kind of got that impression.”

“Edward saw Nikki’s memories and my vision—he’s noticed Ryan evolved since he befriended her.”

“She seems to have that effect on people, doesn’t she?” Jasper asked.

“Not just people…” Alice added.

“You’re talking about Rosalie.” Jasper asked.

“Yes.” Alice nodded. “I’ve never seen her act so concerned about an outsider before.”

“Nikki’s unlike any other human we’ve come across.” Jasper replied.

“That’s the thing… she’s not just a human, she has elf-fairy blood and for some reason it draws people to her.”

“Carlisle mentioned that elf-fairies have an effect on others much like a siren’s call.”

“Only in this case Nikki isn’t drawing them in to their death but an evolution from darkness into light.”

“That’s a death in a way.” Jasper added. “It’s the death of their old life and the birth of a new life.”

“Now you’re getting all biblical on me.” Alice smirked. “But one thing is for sure the changes happening in Rosalie, they’re a direct result of Nikki’s influence.”

“Then that’s good for everyone.” Jasper smiled.

“It is. They’re going to have a very close friendship.” Alice replied. “And it will bond us all closer together.”

I stared at them curiously while they talked, then finally I pushed the button and lowered the window.

“Are you two going to stay there talking for the rest of the day and night?”

They chuckled at me and finally got into the car and then we drove away. I looked back at the building for a moment and then sighed. It felt weird knowing that I wasn’t going to live there or see Eric for a long, long, time. I wasn’t sure when I was going to see anyone again. The truth was I wanted to use the Cullens’ place as a means of escape, a reprieve from all the shit I experienced and the hell I felt. Their place would be a haven compared to what I felt lately—with the notable exception of being around Caleb or Ryan. I was thankful to have met them.

“I almost forgot, here...” Alice stated happily as she turned and handed me a brand new, top of the line, cell phone.

“You bought me a phone?” I arched my eyebrows.

“You needed one.” She replied as though it wasn’t a big deal.

“But I could have bought myself a new one.”

“Now you don’t have to.” She smirked and I quietly laughed.

“Thank you.” I smiled and pulled out Ryan’s business card. I quickly added his and Caleb’s contact information to it.

“No problem.” She smiled at Jasper who returned that smile. They looked happy and I wasn’t sure why.

I sent both Caleb and Ryan a text message with my new number but told them to give me a little while before they contacted me so that I could settle into my new place.


	9. My Immortal

As grateful as I was to have a safe place to go we arrived all too soon. The second I stepped out of the car it would mean a brand-new chapter in my life and seemingly a brand new family too. The potential of happiness was frightening when you were comfortable in the middle of chaos and hell.

“Are you going to stay in the car for the rest of the day and night?” Alice opened the car door for me and smirked.

“Very funny.” I commented and very slowly got out of the car.

The entire family was outside ready to welcome me to the fold. They walked over right away. The first thing that Bella did was hug me.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She gushed but when she noticed the bites she frowned.

“I’m okay.” I replied. “Besides, I’m safe here.”

“You certainly are.” Rosalie agreed and gave me a stiff hug and pulled away to help with the luggage.

“Welcome to the family.” Emmett said and patted my shoulder gently.

He walked over to the trunk to help Jasper with the shoes.

“We’re very happy you’re here.” Esme smiled and hugged me. She exuded a warmth and kindness that I wasn’t used to.

“You _are_ safe here.” Carlisle smiled and shook my hand. “You’re one of the family now.”

“Really?”

“Of course you are.” Alice piped up. “We don’t just invite any human to live with us.”

“But you don’t know me very well.”

“I feel like I’ve known you for years.” Alice replied.

“You’re more tolerable than most humans.” Rosalie smiled slightly as she walked by with a couple of suitcases.

“That’s high praise coming from her, trust me.” Edward responded and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

“I’ll say…” Emmett whispered. “She’s not that nice to outsiders.”

“I heard that!” Rosalie pretended to be annoyed with Emmett.

“But Babe, it’s true!” Emmett stated apologetically.

“Well she’s not an outsider now, is she?” Rosalie replied.

“Nope.” He smirked at me and winked before he walked over and grabbed the bags of shoes.

Edward grabbed a couple of suitcases while Jasper got the last suitcase in the car.

“Let’s get you settled in.” Alice stated and practically skipped to their large house. I arched an eyebrow.

“Oh boy. You’re in a for a treat.” Bella smiled as we followed everyone inside.

“What do you mean?”

“We have a room ready for you.” Esme replied and I stopped at looked at them.

“But… I only just decided to move here…” I looked at them with a strange expression.

“Alice saw you coming a while ago.” Bella whispered and Carlisle smiled as he put an arm around Esme.

“She did?” I asked.

“Yes but she wouldn’t let us interfere with her vision.” Edward replied.

“Because it would have manipulated her future.” Alice responded.

“When did you first have a vision of me?” I asked curiously.

“Months ago.” Jasper commented.

“Oh God.” Rosalie interjected. “She wouldn’t stop going on about it. I just wanted her to shut up. I was sick of you already and I hadn’t even met you— _no offense_.” Edward frowned at her candor.

“None taken.” I laughed. I liked her honesty.

They began walking up a large staircase and I followed them slowly. There were three floors and my room was on the second floor, to the right, at the end of the hall. Theirs were scattered on the second and third levels but on the other side of the house. If anything I was going to have a lot of privacy and that was fine by me. I needed the space. When I walked into the room my eyes bulged. It was huge. Probably twice the size of my living room back in Bon Temps and it had a walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom. They put the suitcases and shoes by the closet. Everything looked brand new and just like he promised, Emmett bought a huge TV and mounted it on the wall across from the bed, equipped with a surround sound stereo with speakers in the corner of the room.

“Holy crap.” I commented. “This is amazing.” I walked around looking at everything.

“I told you she’d like it.” Alice stated to Jasper.

“Wait a second…” I looked at her. “You decorated this especially for me?”

“They renovated _and_ decorated, actually.” Bella corrected.

“Oh right. I forgot about that. Caleb told me you renovated and decorated his condo. You certainly have a knack for it.”

I walked over to the closet and opened the door.

“What the…?” My eyes were wide. The entire closet was full of clothes with designer labels.

“I know you didn’t bring many clothes but Rosalie and I wanted to help you with your wardrobe.” Alice smiled.

Was there something wrong with my jeans and t-shirt ensemble? Bella rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Alice, I can buy my own clothes; I do have my own money.” Not to mention the accounts that Eric set up for me at several stores in Alexandria. “Besides what is wrong with what I’m wearing?” Alice rolled her eyes.

“Please tell me that you don’t live in jeans and a t-shirt? I get enough of that from Bella.” She replied and Bella laughed.

“O-kay. I’m not sure what you mean but if I’m going to be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere I don’t think it will make much sense for me to be dressed like I’m going to the Oscars.” My brow furrowed.

“Oh for goodness sake Nikki—I’m not going to torture you or anything. I just thought I could get you some new clothes.” Alice replied, frustrated. “Every woman needs a full closet.”

“I have more than enough though.”

“You’re not going to win this argument.” Bella shook her head.

“Okay…well I appreciate it. You do have good taste. I have to admit.”

“Thank you.” Alice replied with a huge grin.

“She had some help.” Rosalie interjected.

“Thank you so much.” I replied and gave her a huge hug that she didn’t expect.

She returned it with a grin but then collected herself afterwards and pretended like it was no big deal when everyone arched their eyebrows at her reciprocation.

“What?” She asked. “I’m just happy to get her away from that abusive, philandering, ass of a boyfriend.”

Oh ouch. I know she didn’t mean to but her comment cut like a knife and a tear involuntarily fell down. Jasper frowned at Rosalie.

“That was unnecessary, Rose.” Carlisle reprimanded her.

“I didn’t mean to be so abrasive…” Rosalie commented afterwards.

“It’s fine.” I replied and wiped the tear away.

“We should give her some space.” Edward replied as he frowned at Rosalie.

“That’s a good idea.” Esme agreed and hugged me.

“Or do you need help unpacking?” Alice asked.

“No, I’ll be okay.” I forced a smile.

“You sure?” Bella asked.

“Yup.” I replied. “Besides, I’m going to be pretty miserable for a while; you might not want to let me stay at all.”

“That’s crap.” Emmett replied. “You’re going to be a lot of fun.”

“We never would have offered if we didn’t think it would work out in the end.” Carlisle replied.

“Besides, we’ll be here for you and I think it would be a good idea for you to meet Jacob. He’s a lot of fun to be around and although he’s not a big fan of vampires he keeps his attitude in check because of me.” Bella added.

“I think it would be a good idea for you to meet new people but does it have to be him?” Rosalie wrinkled her nose.

“Never mind her.” Alice replied. “I think he would be a great distraction for you.”

“I definitely need that.” I nodded.

“I agree.” Jasper added.

“Me too.” Edward nodded.

“Okay… we’ll let you have some time to yourself now.” Bella interjected and motioned for them to leave the room.

They smiled and one by one they walked out slowly. Edward and Bella were the last ones in the room. He paused before leaving.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it now but you will get over this.” He stated. Bella nodded.

“I’m sorry for every depressing thought you’re going to hear in the next while.”

“It’s fine.” Edward replied. “I know what it’s like to go through a dark time.”

“You do?” I asked curiously.

“I’ll elaborate another day.” He replied.

“Or I can tell her.” Bella added. “I went through hell as well.”

“But that’s over now.” Edward replied assuredly.

“It certainly is.” She hugged him. “Anyway, if you need anything let us know.” I nodded.

They left the room and Edward closed the door behind him. There was still a bit of time before the sun was going to set so I walked over to the window at the far end of the bedroom and drew back the curtains. Wow I had a beautiful view. I was taking it in when I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye. When I looked to the far left across the clearing I noticed Jacob had walked out of the forest and looked up where I was standing. My heart skipped a beat though I didn’t know why. I hadn’t even met him yet. I wasn’t sure what his response would be but instinctively I waved to him. He probably didn’t expect me to do that but he nodded once and waved quickly before running back into the forest.

For a brief moment I felt okay but then came the deluge of what Eric did, pounding against me in harsh emotional tidal waves, and it overwhelmed me. For some reason more images hit me this time. It was like his own personal sex tape was playing in my head, over and over. It wasn’t just Brandie, there were others, countless others. My God, even an orgy that included his Queen. I let out a scream when he began doing one degrading thing after another and then included her in the mix. He did things with them that he never did with me and it made it that much worse. I put my hands on my head, bowed over and cried out as though I was being beaten.

“Stop! Get out of my head!” I screamed. Everyone ran back to my room but only Edward and Jasper walked inside.

“What the hell is going on?” Emmett asked.

“She’s having visions.” Alice replied and almost couldn’t stand to see my cry.

“What kind of visions?” Esme asked.

“She’s getting flashbacks of what Eric did behind her back.” Edward stated with a furrowed brow.

“She’s deeply tormented.” Carlisle winced.

“I can feel her pain—it’s almost unbearable.” Jasper commented.

“Do something about it!” Rosalie snapped at him.

“Make it stop!” I begged and Alice nodded at him.

“Help her, Jazz.” Alice said quietly.

“Make her pain stop.” Bella added.

“Yes, please.” Edward interjected. “I can barely stand what I’m seeing.”

Jasper walked over and put a hand on the top of my head. The images stopped, momentarily, and I felt a strong wave of peace envelope me like a thick quilt and I became abruptly tired. I practically passed out on the floor. Edward picked me up and put me on the bed as I fell into a deep, deep, sleep. I heard him slowly walk out of the room and close the door behind them. Then I slipped into oblivion.

********

I spent the first several days in bed only getting up momentarily to use the washroom and then returning to the fetal position and whimpering off and on. They would bring me plates of food but I didn’t eat and I could barely concentrate on anything. Jasper would use his power to comfort me and then I fell back asleep but that resulted in more nightmares and I would wake up sobbing. Whatever Niall did must have released my gift in full force because it withheld nothing when it came to showing me everything Eric did behind my back. I saw every single thing, every lie, every detail. I knew that he did it to protect me, to make it seem like he didn’t know who the hell I was and that he was just the same vampire he had always been, but he was living a double life. One life he let me in to me to a certain extent but in the other he screwed everyone in sight, especially Brandie who I had grown to hate. I knew why he chose her. She was blonde, curvy, and maybe resembled me in a slight way. She was a piss poor substitute for me though and it wounded me on such a deep level that he kept up the charade with her, out of all the others.

After I moved out his behaviour worsened. He couldn’t let on to the Queen that he was heartbroken or that anything had changed in his life. Brandie began spending the night at his house in Shreveport which pushed the knife deeper. Day after day the tears kept falling as I stared at the beautifully decorated wall hoping to think of something else, anything else.

Occasionally Ryan would creep into my mind and I would momentarily feel a reprieve but those few moments, as passionate as they were, couldn’t stack up against the onslaught of Eric’s debauchery that quickly took their place. My feelings for Eric went deep and his behaviour cut me right to the core, like I was being gutted, emotionally, from the inside out. As wonderful as Ryan was, those few moments couldn’t override the pain Eric caused me. Nothing could.

Unbeknownst to me… Bella, out of desperation, had sought out Jacob to try to help her bring me out of the depression I was in. He balked at first but something in Bella’s voice made him reconsider so he warily agreed. When he approached the house he could hear the faint sound of me whimpering from my room. It almost pained him to hear it. He took a deep breath, momentarily swallowed his wolf pride, and finally went into the house where Bella was waiting. They didn’t waste any time socializing with anyone. If he had to be there to help me out, then he wasn’t going sit there and listen to any of the snide remarks. Oddly enough though Rosalie didn’t insult him as much as she usually did and it peaked his curiosity. Their initial plan was to try to talk me into doing something, what that _something_ was they weren’t sure, but they had to try. The top priority though was trying to get me to eat. Alice handed Jacob a sandwich and a glass of orange juice to bring up to me. He didn’t comment, he merely took it, nodded once. As they walked up the stairs, he listened to Bella go on about how depressed I was. He had heard it all when she called him earlier that day but the desperation in her voice as she told him again and the grim expressions on the faces of everyone when he walked into the house made it very clear this was a serious situation. The fact Bella was so worried about me that she broke down and called him in desperation to try to help or at least get me to eat said a lot. If the priority was me eating then I was in a very bad state almost worse than Bella after Edward left because at least she left the house occasionally. She also told him that Eric hurt me tremendously but didn’t disclose why and she mentioned the kidnapping at the end.

“Damn vamps.” He muttered. “No wonder she’s in bad shape.”

“Hey—not all of them are like that.” Bella added quickly.

“Sure, sure.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“Jasper is very worried about her. He uses his power to calm her every single day.”

“Jeez Bella, she sounds just like you were.”

“It’s pretty bad Jake.” Bella commented.

“It must be if the blonde viper downstairs is worried about her.”

It was no secret that Rosalie didn’t like anyone except her own family but for her to express concern over someone outside of her family, a human no less, that was a freaking miracle in Jacob’s mind.

“Rose has changed a lot since she met Nikki.”

“Sure seems like it.” Jake replied. “She didn’t insult me near as much as she usually does.”

“She’s trying to be polite for our sakes.”

“Didn’t think _that_ was possible.” He joked.

“Anything is possible.” Bella replied as they stopped in front of my room.

“Some things aren’t.” He replied grimly.

“Actually, they are if you just believe.” She replied and knocked on my bedroom door. “Nikki?” She said gently.

“Come in.” I mumbled but didn’t bother moving.

“I brought a friend.” She replied as she opened the door slowly.

They walked inside; I didn’t move. I was still on my side, staring at the wall as if somehow, I was fastened in place, unable to move an inch. Jacob arched his eyebrows when he saw me.

“Um…hi.” He mumbled and that caught my attention. I slowly sat up and looked at him.

“Oh, hi.” I replied. “Welcome to the freak show.” I opened my arms in a mock welcome and it made him chuckle.

“I’ve seen a lot worse, _trust me_.” He grinned and Bella watched him curiously. “Um… you should probably eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.” I replied.

“Maybe not but if you don’t eat then you won’t have the energy to keep bawling your eyes out later on.” He quipped.

I couldn’t help but smile at his sarcastic comment.

“Very funny.” I replied but I reached for the plate and the glass of orange juice.

He walked over to the side of the bed and handed it to me.

“And no offense…” He teased quietly. “But you should take a shower, like _soon_.” I looked up at him. He smiled at me.

“Anything else?” I asked with a slight grin.

“Yeah… let’s go for a walk. The fresh air will do you good but only _after_ you have a shower though.” He smirked.

Bella stood back and watched in awe as Jacob seemed to be able to get through to me. I looked at Bella.

“Are you coming with us?” I asked Bella.

“Of course.” She smiled and nodded.

“It was her idea.” Jacob replied. “I just thought it would sound more appealing coming from someone who doesn’t know you but still doesn’t want you to turn into a pretty blonde skeleton who can’t get out of bed.”

Did he just compliment me? I was hardly pretty in that state. I had to look like death warmed over and he called me pretty? I smiled slightly. The rest of the family were in the hallway, out of sight, listening to the entire thing.

“Fine.” I replied with a sigh, pretending to be annoyed.

Everyone in the hall smiled amongst themselves but left quickly before I knew they were listening in on the conversation.  
  


“Good.” He nodded once. “We’ll be waiting downstairs, try not to take forever…” He joked.

“I’ll do my best.” I grinned and he smiled again before they left the room.

Once they were gone I slowly drank the orange juice and ate the sandwich. It felt weird to have food in my stomach after not eating for days on end. I put the plate and the empty glass on my nightstand and then I actually got out of bed. I was stiff after not moving much so I stretched for a moment and then walked into the bathroom and ran the shower. I picked out a plain pair of jeans, black t-shirt and black hoodie to wear around my waist. I chose a pair of converse running shoes and a pair of ankle socks. Then I got into the shower and washed the stink off of me. I conditioned my hair thoroughly. When I let the soap and conditioner rinse out I did feel better. Jake was unusually easy to like. He exuded a similar warmth and peace that Caleb did, only with more sarcasm and I sorely needed it. He didn’t realize what a difference his little banter made but I certainly did and so did everyone else.

When I was finished getting dressed, brushing my teeth, and towel drying my hair, I tied my hair back and left the room. I began walking downstairs slowly.

“Wow… you’re actually useful for something.” Rosalie commented to Jacob when they heard me coming.

“Wow, you actually have a heart, who would’ve thought?” Jacob retorted.

“Shhh!” Alice whispered. “Be nice, she’s coming.”

I walked into their main living room and everyone was in there. Esme smiled at me warmly. The huge TV was on and Emmett took a break from watching his football game to get up and give me a hug. Jasper noted the change in my countenance and was somewhat relieved. Alice and Edward could see it too.

“You clean up good.” Emmett said and then sat back down.

“How do you feel?” Esme asked.

“Like my heart’s been put in a blender and fed to the wolves.” I replied. Alice smirked and looked at Jacob who smiled.

“I’m sure the wolves wouldn’t want to eat your heart.” Jake replied. “They prefer wild game.”

“Aren’t you witty.” I blurted. “I can see why Bella likes you.”

“That’s not the general consensus around here.” He smirked and looked around the room but especially at Rosalie.

“Where’s Carlisle?” I asked to change the subject when Rosalie rolled her eyes.

“Carlisle is a doctor.” Edward stated.

“He has a shift at the hospital.” Esme smiled. “He’ll be back later.”

“Oh.”

“We should get this show on the road before you sit on the couch and create a permanent dent in it.” Jake commented.

“Yeah, let’s go.” I nodded and walked down the stairs, and around the corner to the front door. Jake followed behind me.

“We’ll be back in a little while.” Bella walked over to Edward and gave him a hug.

“I’m not worried.” Edward replied when he looked over at us.

Jake was standing beside me in the hall while we waited for Bella. I looked up at him and he smiled slightly.

“I don’t know you very well but I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings or anything. I was only joking earlier.”

“You didn’t.” I replied. “I like your sense of humour.”

“That’s a first, everyone around here doesn’t seem to get it.”

“I do.” I replied. “Besides if you were exposed to half of what I was from living in a small town with a bunch of narrow minded rednecks you’d realize why I’m not easily offended.”

“It sounds like you’ve been through hell even before you met the vamp.”

“It’s water under the bridge now.” I replied, trying to brush it off. “You can’t change the past.”

“I wish I could.” He commented as he thought about Bella.

“But if we erased every painful thing we went through we’d never learn from our mistakes, grow in character, or appreciate the good things that come later.” I replied. “You can’t have a rainbow without the rain.”

“Wow.” Jake took a good look at me. “I wish I could fight you on that but I can’t. You’re totally right.”

“It happens occasionally.” I had a slight smile. “Obviously not when it came to selecting my previous partners...”

“Screw your exes.” He blurted. “It’s obvious they didn’t deserve you because they didn’t appreciate what they had.”

“You don’t even know me.” I replied. “I could’ve been a psycho to them.”

“Nah, I can tell you’re not like that. It’s obvious you were too good for them and it’s their big fat loss.”

After listening in on our conversation, Alice and Jasper smiled at each other and left the room. Rosalie looked up at Emmett and he gave her a hug.

“This is a good thing.” He whispered.

“If you say so.” She replied.

“Take it slow.” Edward replied to Bella. “Don’t push her too much. She’s still very fragile.”

“Don’t worry about me.” She replied.

“I’m not worried about Jacob either. He seems to like her.” He whispered in her ear so Jacob wouldn’t hear.

“Yeah I noticed that too.”

“Are you coming or what Bella?” Jake called from down the hall. “We could set up camp in the hallway if you’re going to be any longer.” That made me grin.

Bella smiled up at Edward and gave him a short kiss before leaving the room to join us at the front door. When she walked down the stairs Jake was rolling his eyes.

“This was your idea and you’re holding us up.” Jake mumbled.

“Sorry.” Bella smiled slightly.

“It’s fine. I’m just remembering what it feels like to have legs.” I quipped and Jake laughed.

“Come on…” Jake motioned for us to follow him as he walked outside. “Before green eyes changes her mind.”

“Green eyes?” I looked up at him. “That’s all you got?” I added as we stepped off the porch.

“Well I don’t want to call you Blondie because I think of the viper when I say that.”

“Her name is _Rosalie_.” I replied in a soft but firm voice.

“ _Viper_ , _Blondie_ , _Rosalie_ …same thing to me.” He quipped. It was hard to stay annoyed with him. He made me laugh.

“As long as you don’t give me a bad nickname—I don’t care.”

“Why would I give you a bad one? _You’re nice_.”

“He doesn’t have a nickname for me.” Bella replied.

“Because Bella is already a nickname and there’s nothing wrong with it.” Jake sighed.

“Well technically Nikki is already a nickname…”

“What’s your full name?” Jake asked.

“Nicole but it’s pronounced like _knee-cull”_ I replied. “It’s a French name and my Dad chose it. I’m not sure why though.”

“I’m so _not_ saying that.” Jake replied and Bella chuckled. “I’ll stick with Nikki or something that’s not going to make me hate talking to you.”

“It’s not that bad.” I replied. “Louisiana is known for having a rich French population, you know.”

“I’m not from here.” Jake replied. “And I’m Native American so I could give you a name like _Green Eyes Bright Smile_.”

“Oh for the love of God.” I commented while Bella laughed out loud.

“What?” Jake laughed. “I could call you _Hates Food and Sleeps All Day_.”

“You’re just being ridiculous now!” I playfully shoved him while he laughed. “Just call me Nikki. That’s good enough.”

“Whatever you say… _Nikki_.” He chuckled.

Alice, Jasper, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett and Esme watched us from the living room window, listening to our conversation. Everyone but Rosalie was smiling. She was concerned and though she wouldn’t voice it outwardly she didn’t want Jacob to hurt me. Edward heard her thoughts and was pleasantly surprised by them but didn’t say anything.

“He’s exactly what she needs right now.” Esme stated, relieved.

“Her mood has significantly improved since she met him.” Jasper replied. “That’s no coincidence.”

“What are we? Chopped liver?” Rosalie retorted. “We care about her too.”

“That’s not what he meant, Rose.” Emmett replied. “For some reason, he makes her laugh.”

“He is pretty funny.” Alice grinned. “He brings out the best in her.”

“I think they bring out the best in each other.” Edward added. “Today is the first day that he actually came inside the house and hasn’t been as openly hostile to us.”

“That’s true.” Esme nodded.

“He’s plenty hostile.” Rosalie replied.

“No, he was sarcastic.” Alice replied. “Usually there’s a bitter tone to his comments but she seems to calm him down.”

“I think you’re nuts.” Rosalie blurted. “ _But_ … today is the first time I heard her laugh since coming to stay with us.”

“See… progress.” Emmett put his arm around Rosalie.

“Whatever.” Rosalie walked away in a huff and Emmett followed after her. The others looked at each other.

“What do you think Edward?” Alice asked.

“I think Nikki has a positive effect on everyone she comes in contact with.”

“That’s not a bad thing.” Jasper replied.

“No but I think it’s an elf-fairy thing and if we thought she was a target before… she might be an even bigger one now.”

“Nothing is going to happen to her if she’s with us.” Esme replied.

“Or if she’s with Jacob.” Jasper added. “I’m willing to bet he would protect her.”

“Oh he will.” Alice nodded and they looked at her. “I haven’t seen much because I can’t see the wolves but for some reason I see snippets of him with her and he will stop at nothing to protect her.”

“What did you see?” Jasper asked.

“Not now, Jazz.” Alice replied. “I don’t want to say too much. I want to see what plays out first.”

“What about Ryan?” Esme asked. “I thought you mentioned that he loved her.”

“He does but I don’t have a clear vision of him right now. Something’s blocking it.”

“What do you think it is?” Edward asked.

“It could be anything. We both know that the future isn’t always certain and there might be variables that alter the outcome. It wasn’t until recently that we found out about what Eric did.”

“That’s because a witch used a spell to block him from her premonitions.” Edward added.

“But it affected me as well because we’re connected to her.” Alice replied.

“Do we expect to see Eric any time soon?” Esme asked grimly.

“I hope not.” Edward replied.

“Ditto.” Jasper added.

“I don’t know. Right now he’s in a downward spiral, trying to deal with the consequences of his choices. He loves her but he knows what he did was wrong and he’s beating himself up for it.”

“Good.” Edward replied. “Jacob was right, Eric never deserved her.”

“People can change, Edward.” Esme replied.

“I know.” He replied. “But you didn’t see what I saw. I know what he did to her, how he treated her, violated her trust and manipulated her through the blood tie. I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s highly improbable and even if he somehow did make the evolution to a more humane being—I still think she would be better off with someone like Caleb, Ryan or even Jacob. Anyone but Eric.” Edward left them standing at the window and walked up to his room.

“Wow. He’s furious.” Esme replied.

“I was too.” Alice replied. “But I’m getting a completely different picture of him with these recent visions.”

“What do you mean, Alice?” Jasper asked.

“Nobody is just born evil. Something happens to them which shapes, molds or twists the humanity out of them. There is more to him than what has been revealed thus far. I got a tiny glimpse when we saw him in Alexandria. He loves her. I could feel it powerfully.”

“I did too.” Jasper replied. “It was genuine and so was his torment for betraying her.”

“I felt that too—through the visions, and if I’m still getting visions of him then he’s not going to be out of her life completely.”

“We just have to make sure that he doesn’t hurt her again.” Esme replied.

“I agree.”

“I think he’ll do everything he can to avoid repeating his mistakes.” Alice added.

“Good.” Esme smiled and walked out of the room.

For the beginning of the walk I didn’t say anything. Bella and Jake talked to each other and I listened. He guided us through the forest and to the beach. It was serene and it felt refreshing. I stood at the edge of the beach and stared into the distance, across the water while they were back toward the edge of the forest. The breeze was exhilarating.

“She’s in rough shape alright.” Jake stated. “Almost worse than you were. I can almost feel her pain. What the hell did he do to her?”

“You don’t want to know.” Bella replied.

“Yeah, maybe not.” Jake agreed. “But if we’re going to help her it might be good if I knew a little.”

“Have you ever heard of vampires forming blood ties with humans?” Bella asked.

“Ugh… yeah. I’ve heard of it. It’s sick and twisted.” He wrinkled his nose and shook his head in disgust.

“Do you know the aftereffects?”

“They can control the humans, right?”

“Yes to a certain degree and she had a very strong blood tie to him. He manipulated and controlled her in ways you can’t imagine but I think in his own twisted way he did love her and he tried to keep her from his vampire superiors.”

“Yeah sure he loved her, _whatever_.” Jake rolled his eyes. “What kind of superiors?”

“You know how we have to be careful of The Volturi?”

“Yeah.” He frowned.

“Well her vampire ex is a different species of vampire and the vampire authorities they’re subject to are a bit more common and very vocal. It works like a monarchy. There is a King or Queen for every state. His Queen wanted her and he was expected to give her to the Queen without question.”

“What do you mean _wanted_ her?”

“She’s got a special gift… like Alice… and the Queen wanted to use that gift.”

“You mean the Queen Bitch wanted her to be a vampire slave?” Talk about cutting the crap.

“Pretty much so her ex, Eric, moved her to Alexandria away from everyone and everything she knew in order to hide her from the Queen and well he resorted to some very distasteful things to make it seem like he wasn’t connected to her at all.”

“Let me guess…” Jake rolled his eyes. “He ignored her and screwed a bunch of chicks to throw the Queen off track.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Bella nodded.

“And from the scars on her neck he obviously used her as a chew toy.” Bella nodded again. “For Fuck Sake.” Jake commented. “That’s the problem when humans date vamps—it always comes back to bite them in the ass.”

“Look… please don’t make any snide comments to her. Whether you agree that she dated him or not, she’s really broken about it and the last thing she needs is any judgement from you.”

“I’m not going to say shit.” Jake replied. “She’s been through enough.”

“Yes, she has.”

A wonderful breeze blew in from off the water and it went through my hair and I closed my eyes. I breathed it in and sighed happily. For the first time in a few days I felt just a little bit happy. Jake left Bella standing by herself for a moment while he walked over to me. The closer he got to me he caught my scent and oddly enough he liked it, in fact, he thought I smelled incredible but he didn’t want to say anything because liking it made him feel weird, so he just stood beside me. He looked at me standing there with my eyes closed and relishing the fresh ocean air and he smiled. The breeze blew his scent to me and I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He smiled at me and I kind of smiled back.

“I’m sorry, am I taking too long?” I asked with an apologetic expression.

“Nah.” He shook his head. “I spend hours out here.” He looked at the ocean. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is.” I replied.

“I come out here to clear my head.” He added.

“Is that why you brought me out here?” I asked curiously.

“I just wanted you to get some fresh air and I figured why not bring you to my favourite place?”

“Thank you.” I replied quietly. That was sweet of him.

“No problem.” He smiled. “Did you want to head back?”

“Sure…” I nodded. “I hate to leave but I should get back before I pass out from exhaustion.”

“I could always carry you.” He smirked. “But if you want… we could come out here again tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me. You could show me around.” I pointed to the forest behind us. “Since I’m new to the area.”

“Sure.” He nodded once. He liked that idea more than he wanted to admit.

We walked back over to Bella who was secretly happy that we were getting along so well. She knew I needed the distraction and maybe by helping me, Jake would finally get over the pain of losing her to Edward. Only time would tell.

“Ready to go?” Bella asked.

“I am now.” I replied. “But we’re coming back tomorrow.”

“We are?” Bella smiled at Jake.

“I think the fresh air will do us all some good.” Jake winked at her and she grinned.

“I agree.”

As we walked back Jake looked me over a few times. He wasn’t sure what to think. Initially he thought he wouldn’t like me at all. He couldn’t imagine anyone being stupid enough to stay with a vamp who bit them but the more he found out about the details of the situation and learned more about me; he was shocked to find that he actually liked me. He thought I was funny, kind, remarkably strong considering what I had been through and he loved it when I smiled. It lit up my face and for some reason it made him feel better. Maybe I was a distraction from his constant pining over Bella but whatever the reason, he liked being around me, more than he ever expected to. I noticed him look at me again and I smiled at him. That made him smile and I noticed he blushed. Huh. I didn’t know what it was about him but he gave off a nice, calming, peaceful aura. I practically felt it but of course it wasn’t to last.

Suddenly out of nowhere I got hit with a vision of Eric screwing Brandie and it stopped me short. I gasped and tears fell down my cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, suddenly at my side.

“Nikki?” Bella asked worriedly. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and then wiped the tears from my eyes.

“I’ll be fine.” I commented.

“Bullshit!” Jake commented. “You sounded like someone shot you.”

“It was an emotional bullet, I guess.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Jake asked.

“She keeps getting visions of Eric.” Bella replied.

“Imagine one of your worst nightmares on constant repeat in your head and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.” I added quickly. “All I feel is constant grief and with the blood tie it makes it even worse.”

“Damn.” He commented. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll live.” I replied with a slight smile.

Before either of them could comment any further my cell phone began to ring. I looked at the caller display and was pleasantly surprised. I smiled and answered it right away.

“Hey Caleb.” I replied.

“I’ve tried calling but I never heard back from you.” He stated. “I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m okay.” I answered.  
“No she’s not.” Jake piped up.

“Shhh!” Bella replied and gently smacked his arm.

“Who’s that?” Caleb asked curiously.

“Jake.” I replied. “One of my friends out here.”

“Is that the same Jake you had the dream about?” He asked and Jake’s eyebrows arched.

“Um….” I stammered but Caleb continued.

“He sounds worried about you.”

“Well I’m a bit of a hot mess right now so I guess everyone is worried.”

“What does Ryan think?” Caleb asked.

“I haven’t talked to him either I’m sorry I just kind of got caught up in the mess of it all, I’m not ignoring you or anything.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand.” He replied. “I do.”

“Well he might take it the wrong way.”

“Why?” Caleb asked.

“I think I kind of hurt his feelings.”

“How?”

“Well I didn’t tell you before that he was interested in me and I had an impulsive moment after I found out about Eric—and I kissed him.”

“Wow— _no_ you didn’t tell me.” Caleb replied. Jake smiled when he heard it.

“I felt bad though. It wasn’t fair.” I replied guiltily. 

“Why?” Jake interjected. “What your vamp did was a million times worse.”

“I was talking about Ryan—it wasn’t fair to push the boundaries of our friendship.” I added.

“First off, I think your friend Jake is right and secondly I bet Ryan didn’t mind.” Caleb replied.

“I agree.” Jake smirked.

“Shhh!” Bella repeated herself and gave Jake a bit of a shove.

“How did you really feel?” Caleb asked.

“I like Ryan; we have a lot in common but hello—I just found out about Eric. It was too soon for anything. I felt a bit overwhelmed.”

“I’m sure he’d understand that.” Caleb replied.

“When he found out I left Eric he said I could stay at his place—it felt weird.”

“He was trying to help.” Caleb replied. “Like I was.”

“No… I think he meant it differently.”

“Smooth.” Jake replied with a bit of a grin and Bella shoved him again.

“I’m sure you’ll sort it out. I could tell he cares about you.” Caleb responded.

“Right now I can’t think about anything else but getting over this hell I feel.”

“You’ll get through this.” He replied. “You have a pretty good support team there.” I looked over at Jake and Bella.

“I do.” I smiled at them.

“Then trust what they say.” Caleb replied.

“I’m trying.”

“Good.” He replied. “I would love to chat more but we’re going to see our families for a few weeks so I might be out of touch for a bit.”

“Have fun.” I replied. “Tell the guys I said hi.”

“I will. Take care and keep me posted. It would ease my mind even if you sent me a text once in a while.”

“Don’t worry. I will.” I smiled.

“Good.” Caleb replied.

“Talk to you later.” I mumbled.

“Talk to you later.” Caleb replied and disconnected the call.

“Wow. Someone cares about you.” Jake smirked.

“What?” I looked at him with an odd expression. “We’re just friends.”

“Sure, sure.” He nodded and smiled. “What’s with the Ryan dude though?”

“We’re friends but I think I ruined everything by kissing him.”

“Doubt it.” Jake replied.

“I shouldn’t have kissed him. It was right after finding out about Eric. I wasn’t in my right mind and he was so supportive.”

“I bet he was.” Jake muttered quietly but I didn’t hear him. “Look…I’m willing to bet it wasn’t all you but I do think you should give it time because you need to detox from your vamp.”

“In more ways than one.” I quipped and walked ahead of them.

“Damn she’s still so hung up on that stupid vamp.”

“They only just broke up and they have a blood tie—it amplifies everything by a hundred per cent.” Bella replied.

“Good point.”

“If I would’ve had a blood tie to Edward when he left—it would’ve killed me.”

“You got close enough.” Jake frowned.

“So imagine how she feels right now.” Bella replied and Jake sighed.

“I wish I could help her out.”

“You are… just by being here for her. It helps more than you know.”

“Then that’s something at least.”

“It is.” Bella nodded.

“Did she have a dream about me?” Jake asked.

“Not that she mentioned to me…” Bella added. “Maybe it was a premonition.”

“A good one I hope.” Jake replied.

“If it was a bad one we’d know.”

It wasn’t until after I disconnected from Caleb’s call that I realized I didn’t tell Sookie what happened or give her my new contact information. I stopped and began texting her furiously to give her a very concise summary of what was going on. I didn’t feel like telling her what Eric did because it would only open up a giant can of worms and I was still having a hard time dealing with it. The last thing I needed was to rehash everything. At the end of it I told her to let everyone know I was fine but that I had a lot going on and she might not hear from me very often. Truth was it was hard for me to talk to her if she was still with Bill because it would somehow keep me in the loop with Eric and I didn’t want that at all. I wanted to be free of my feelings for him. I still loved him, I still missed him but I couldn’t shake what he did and it haunted me almost every second of the day—with the notable exception of when I was near Jake.

“She’s quiet. Too quiet.” Jake replied. “That can’t be good.”

“We have to figure out how to keep her mind off Eric.”

“Why can’t they just hypnotize her or something?” Jake said. “I thought vampires were able to do that to people?”

“Well if they are it doesn’t work on me and I get the feeling it wouldn’t work on her either.”

“Maybe I can try to keep her busy.” Jake offered.

“That would be great.” Bella replied.

Meanwhile back in the city… Ryan was going over all the lore he could find on elf-fairies and Holden was going his best to help him but their resources were limited. The bulk of Ryan’s resource material was at his estate out of town.

“I have to go back to the house.” Ryan replied. “I have an extensive library there.”

“Why didn’t you bring it here?” Holden asked.

“I never expected to spend so much time in the condo and I prefer to keep the valuable research materials at the house.”

“I’m surprised you are still here.” Holden replied. “I thought you were just about ready to make your move.”

“I got sidetracked.” Ryan replied and thought about me.

“By _her_.” Holden replied.

“Yes.” Ryan replied. “She’s worth it though.”

“I know she is.” Holden nodded. “Are you going to call her?”

“I have been calling her but I haven’t heard back. I’m pretty sure she wanted space because of all the crap she went through with that vampire.” Ryan replied quietly but didn’t look up.

“I bet she would still want to hear from you, after all, she sent you a text message with her new cell number.”

“You’re right. I should at the very least let her know I’ll be out of town for a little bit.”

“You’re going to call her to say you’re going out of town?” Holden arched his eyebrows.

“What?” Ryan asked defensively.

“Don’t you have service out of town?” Holden asked. “Because unless you’re suddenly going to be falling off the face of the earth—there is cell reception almost anywhere, even at your out of town estate.”

“Good point.” Ryan admitted reluctantly.

“Just be honest with her.”

“I did that and got slammed.” Ryan muttered. “She hasn’t called me back.”

“But…she just broke up with that vampire—she was a wreck and from a woman’s point of view it was probably too soon to move on.”

“When the hell did you get so wise about women?” Ryan asked curiously.

“Looking out for your best interests…” Holden replied quietly. Ryan didn’t realize just how loyal Holden was until then.

“I don’t make it easy, do I?” Ryan asked.

“Not really.” Holden grinned slightly. “But I knew what I was getting into.”

“What do you really think about this?” Ryan asked. “You can be honest and I won’t retaliate.”

“I’ve never seen you fall for someone and I think it scares you. Her honesty, her independence, her strength—even her peaceful aura, scare you because you’re unfamiliar with someone actually caring about you unconditionally.”

“You’re not wrong.” Ryan nodded. “Go on…”

“It’s no secret that you’re a ladies’ man. Women love you, hell they flock to you, you have no problem seducing any number of women…”

“But…?”

“But it’s much harder to make a woman fall in love with you than it is to seduce them.”

“I don’t want to _make_ her do anything…”

“That’s not what I meant—sorry.” Holden answered nervously. “My point is that you’re used to getting the girl—you’re not used to someone of substance who has to be won over. She’s very valuable and wanted by pretty much anyone who crosses her path. You have to be someone extraordinary to win her over and keep her. It’s obvious she’s big on loyalty so I’d start there.”

“I’m very loyal.” Ryan replied.

“I’m talking about her sense of loyalty or fidelity. She broke up with a vampire that she has a damn blood tie to. That couldn’t have been easy, especially considering the effects of the blood tie but she did it and why? Because he was disloyal and betrayed her. Loyalty rates high on her list. If she can’t trust you then you won’t have a chance at all.”

“There isn’t much I can do about my past.” Ryan commented. “She knows what I’m like. I was honest about it.”

“That might fall in your favour because you didn’t hide it from her.”

“Why the hell should I hide it? I’m not ashamed of it.”

“But she might question your loyalty to her if you keep living the same way…remember that’s how her vampire lived before her and while they were together—it’s the reason why they’re not together.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t be hooking up with random chicks for late night booty calls.”

“Pretty much.” Holden nodded.

“I don’t know man… having real feelings for someone is damn hard.”

“It is but it can be the most rewarding thing you could ever experience.”

“Have you ever experienced it?” Ryan asked.

“Yes but it was before I worked for you.” Holden replied grimly.

“It seems like you got the short end of the stick.” Ryan replied.

“It wasn’t her fault.” Holden replied. “And we were younger.”

“How young?” Ryan asked.

“I was about 20, she was around 18.”

“That’s a long time ago.” Ryan commented. “Almost a decade.”

“I know.” Holden replied.

“You haven’t been with anyone since?”

“I never felt the same way about anyone else.”

“Wow. She had a hold on you.”

“Just like Nikki has a hold on you.”

“Point well taken.” Ryan nodded. “What happened?”

“She couldn’t get over her parents’ deaths. It kind of wrecked her.”

“I know the feeling.” Ryan replied. “Hmmm. So does Nikki but she seems remarkably resilient despite it.”

“She is incredibly resilient, which is why you need to be there for her, she won’t grieve her vampire forever.”

Holden was right. Ryan picked up his cell and stared at it. He was still stinging from me rejecting his offer but he didn’t want to let on it affected him that way. He mulled it over in his head for a couple of minutes before finally dialling the number. When it did ring I expected it to be Sookie, when I realized it was him, I was pleasantly surprised. We were almost back at the Cullen house by then but I wanted to stay outside while we were on the phone. I looked at Bella and Jake.

“Go on inside, I’ll be a few minutes.” I replied before answering the call.

“It’s Ryan, isn’t it?” Jake asked curiously.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“The expression on your face says it all.” He replied and I motioned for him to be quiet.

“Hey.” I answered calmly.

“I wasn’t sure you’d answer.” He replied warily. “I’ve called but didn’t hear back.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.”

“I kind of thought you were brushing me off.”

“No… I really wasn’t. It’s just been very hard the last while.”

“So you’re not pissed at me because you think I moved too quickly and asked you to move in?” Ryan blurted and Holden put a hand to his forehead.

“You sound a bit defensive.” I replied. “I told you that I wasn’t intentionally avoiding your calls.”

“But you promised to call and then you didn’t return my calls so I…” Ryan commented while Holden shook his head.

“So you jumped to conclusions.” I interrupted.

“Sorry.” He sighed. “I’m not used to this…”

“What? Having a real conversation with a female beyond the morning after?” I replied and Jake laughed

“Ouch. Thanks for that.” Ryan frowned.

“Shit. That came out harsher than I intended. I meant to be sarcastic.” I gave myself a face palm.

“It’s fine and I can’t deny you’re right. I just thought I’d give you another call and see how things were.”

“I’m a bit better at least.”

“How do you like staying at your friend’s place?” Ryan asked.

“It’s great here. Peaceful. It’s like heaven right in the middle of hell.”

“Good. You needed that.” He replied.

“What about you?”

“I’ve been doing more research on supernatural beings.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I think you’re a target and I want to find out why.” He replied and Jake arched his eyebrow at the comment.

“Oh. Well… I’m safe here.”

“I’m sure you are but are you going to hide out there forever or are you going to come out of your self-imposed exile someday?”

“It’s not like that.” I replied. “I like it here; I have great friends and it’s very soothing.”

“Are you going to make any trips to Alexandria soon?”

“Not for a while.” I confessed. “At least I have no plans to.” He gritted his teeth but remained calm.

“It’s just as well because if there are vampires after you—you need to stay off the grid.”

“True.”

“I miss your humour.” He mumbled quietly.

“I miss you.” I replied. “But I’m really not ignoring you either.”

“I’m glad we cleared that up.” He replied. “But I do have to tell you something.”

“What? Is something wrong?”

“No, everything is fine it’s just that I’m going out of town for a while. All of my research materials are back at my house but it’s a day’s drive from here. Obviously, it doesn’t make sense to go back and forth between the two so I’m going to get set up there until I get the answers I need.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“No, but I appreciate it.” He replied. “Holden has it covered.”

“Okay… well… be safe.” I stated.

“You too.”

“I will.” I replied. “Keep me in the loop.”

“Sure thing…um bye.” He replied abruptly and disconnected.

Holden arched his eyebrows.

“I know, I know! I blew it.”

“What happened?” Holden asked. “You started well…”

“She made a joke and I took it the wrong way and I got my back up.” Ryan admitted. “Plus I heard some guy in the background.”

“Probably one of her friends…” Holden interjected.

“I clammed up and I can’t take it back.” Ryan replied. “What the hell is it with her? I’ve never had a problem talking to a woman before.”

“You never cared what a woman thought about you before.”

“True.”

“Maybe try back tomorrow or something.”

“I doubt she’ll answer if I did try back.”

“You’re underestimating how much she cares about you.”

“How do you know she cares?”

“I saw the expression on her face when she came to see you… believe me, she cares, she just needs time.”

“I’m not good at being patient.”

“Unless it’s for vengeance.”

“Well that’s different.” Ryan added. “When it comes to vengeance it has to be planned carefully.”

“Speaking of which… where are you on that?”

“I’m just waiting to hear back from a contact overseas.”

The conversation with Ryan was awkward and ended abruptly. It wasn’t like him and I couldn’t hide that it bothered me.

“What the hell was that?” Jake asked, finally. “It sounded like a business call.”

“Jake…” Bella frowned.

“What?” Jake asked. “It’s true. That didn’t sound like a friend, or a guy who cares about her. He sounded like a possessive, jealous jerk. Doesn’t he get that you went through a major break up?”

“He’s just distracted, focused on something I guess.” I added.

“He sounds like a jerk.” Jake replied. “And you deserve better.” He walked inside the house with Bella.

Wow. He wasn’t one to hold punches and Jake was right, it was awkward, tense, and not a typical conversation between two friends who cared about each other. He didn’t really sound like himself. I had never known Ryan to sound distant when he called me. Unless he was trying to keep me at arm’s length because I hurt his feelings. That would make sense. What I found odd was the timing of both him and Caleb leaving town the same time for very different reasons. At least I had a house full of people who weren’t going anywhere. I looked up at the living room and Alice was staring down at me with a sad expression. I motioned for her to come outside and she was there within seconds.

“Are you okay?” Alice asked.

“I’m a bit disappointed.” I replied. “Ryan didn’t sound like himself.”

“I haven’t seen anything.” Alice replied. “If that’s what you’re asking. He does seem focused. I wouldn’t say he doesn’t care more like he’s distracted with whatever it is he’s trying to gather information about so he can find a way to protect you.”

“He sounds obsessed about it, actually.”

“Maybe he is. You were kidnapped right in front of him and if that happened to me Jasper would have been freaking out and making sure that it never happened again.

“Good point but something’s off.” I replied. “Or maybe he’s just giving me the space I needed.”

“The fact he called is a good thing.” Alice replied reassuringly. “He cared enough to let you know he was going out of town and from the sounds of it, he isn’t accustomed to communicating effectively in a real relationship.”

“That’s true, I suppose it’s some kind of progress, especially since I didn’t return his calls.”

“It is, besides, you’re not alone, you have a house of people in there who care about you.”

“Thanks.” I smiled and she hugged me. “I needed that.”

“You’ll always have that.” Alice replied.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” I commented solemnly.

“I can keep that promise.” Alice reassured me. “We aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’ve had too many people say that to me and then they disappeared from my life one way or another.”

“I’m not them— _we’re_ _not_ _them_.” Alice replied firmly. “Besides, we’re vampires. At the very least we’ll be here until you pass away from natural causes.”

“Natural causes? If only.” I mumbled. “With this stupid family curse hanging over my head—I highly doubt it. There are only a few of us left now.”

“And none of you are going anywhere.” Alice replied stubbornly.

“Have you seen that?” I asked curiously.

“As a matter of fact I’ve had a glimpse into your future—and they’re there with you.”

“What about my future?” I asked curiously. “Did you see anything specific?”

“Nothing concrete, little snippets but nothing to really put together.”

“You’re being vague.”

“I would rather not tell you something that I’m not entirely sure about.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a glimpse, not a full picture. It can provide a false image of what will happen.”

“So it’s not absolute then.”

“I have no doubt that you and your cousins will be fine.” She smiled. “But that’s all I can say.”

“Who else did you see in my future?”

“We’re here for you, your friends are here for you—we’re not going anywhere.”

“Okay.” I nodded once. “That’s somewhat hopeful.”

“It’s very hopeful—have some faith.” She grinned and gave me a side-armed hug. When she pulled away I sighed.

“I gave up hope a long time ago because I got tired of being disappointed.”

She saw a lot more than she was telling me but I couldn’t see it and I knew better than to get my hopes up and let them get crushed like all the other times. I walked away without giving her a chance to reply. I didn’t even linger to talk to Jake or anyone else. I began walking upstairs and made a beeline straight to my room.

“What the???” Jake commented.

“I’ll talk to her.” Bella was about to follow me but Jake gently shook his head.

“Let me.” He replied. “It seemed to work before, maybe I can help her this time too.” Bella nodded and let him go.

Jake jogged up the stairs as I got undressed, put on a fresh pair of pyjamas, and then climbed back into bed. I heard the knock on the door but I ignored it.

“I’m coming in; you better be dressed.” Jake stated and walked inside.

“What if I wasn’t dressed?” I asked curiously.

“I would’ve thrown you a towel or something.” He joked. I sighed and stared at the wall. He sat on the bed. “I’m sorry if I was a dick.”

“You weren’t. You were being honest. Ryan does sound different. I don’t even know why I care to begin with. I’m a fucking mess from what happened with Eric. I’m not fit to be with anyone.”

“That’s bullshit.” Jake replied. “Okay, sure you’ve been dealt a bad hand but it doesn’t mean you’ll never be happy again.”

“Feels like it.”

“Look…Ryan didn’t sound that bad and Alice did make a pretty good point about how he did make the effort to call you again, even to let you know he wouldn’t be around for a bit. If he didn’t give a shit, he wouldn’t bother calling at all.”

“True…”

“Anyway… what is this thing you were mumbling about… the family curse?” He asked curiously.

“How did you hear that?” I sat up and looked at him curiously.

“The windows were open and I was being nosey.” He replied unapologetically.

“I lost a lot of my family members when I was younger. It’s like they were systematically being crossed off some list by the guy upstairs.”

“The guy upstairs?” He arched an eyebrow. “Like who? _God_?” I nodded. “You think God was taking them off the list?”

“Kind of.”

“No, no way.” He shook his head. “There’s no way God would do that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re too damn good. It’s almost sickening. You’re too nice, too _annoyingly_ nice—and He’s not in the business of killing off good people, maybe the devil is but not God.” Huh. He made an interesting point.

“Why are you going to all this trouble to cheer me up? You just met me. I’m a pain in your ass right now Jake.”

“No you’re not. You’re selling yourself short. You’re a bit of a mess yeah but you’re fun and I like being around you.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t know. You give off a good vibe I guess.”

“How am I giving off a good vibe when I’m depressed all the time?”

“You’re not depressed all the time.”

“Feels like it.”

“Well you smiled a few times today…”

“True…” I sighed. “Why the hell do I keep losing people?”

“I don’t know.” He replied solemnly. “I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t see the future but I do trust Alice’s visions.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I don’t think she’s feeding you a bunch of bullshit. I think she’s being honest but I don’t think it’s a good idea to see the full picture anyway because that can mess with someone’s head. It might make you do the wrong things and screw it up. If she says you and your cousins will be fine—I trust it and so should you.” Holy shit.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve lost someone too and I never trusted vamps before but I do now.” Wow.

“Why now all of a sudden?” I asked curiously.

“Because she saw you coming and I couldn’t understand why… but now I do. And she wasn’t wrong, was she?”

“I guess not.”

“Listen, I don’t know what Ryan’s deal is. Maybe he’s distracted or focused, maybe he is doing a shit load of research to find a way to protect you—which wouldn’t surprise me but maybe for now, just focus on moving forward.”

“To what?”

“To something better. No disrespecting him…but I do believe that everything happens for a reason. If your friends are both going out of town for a while—I think it’s for a damn good reason. What that reason is, I have no freaking clue.”

“Maybe you’re right.” I replied.

“Maybe I am.” He grinned and gently touched my arm.

“Thanks, Jake.” I replied and gave him a hug.

“Any time, Nik.” He answered and that made me smile.

I held on for a moment and breathed in his scent. He smiled as he hugged me and felt oddly happy. I pulled away because I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked quietly.

“Sure.”

“Did you have a dream about me?”

“Um…” I sighed. “I kind of had a vision of you before I came here; before I even moved to Alexandria.”

“Was it bad?” He asked curiously.

“No.” I shook my head.

“Phew. I think you have enough bad visions.” I grinned slightly. “So what did you see?”

“Um… I can’t say…”

“What? Why?”

“Because it was only bits and pieces and didn’t make much sense.”

“Oh.” He replied. “Well when it does make sense, let me know.”

“I will.” I smiled.

“Are you going to stay up here?” He asked.

“Yeah, I just need a break from everyone right now.”

“I don’t blame you. It can feel crowded with all of them down there. Anyway…I’m going home but I’ll be back tomorrow for our walk so you better be showered and ready to go.” That made me smile.

“What time?”

“I’ll let you sleep in for a bit. How about 10 am?”

“Sure.” I nodded.

“Good.” He smiled and then gently patted my arm before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

He stood there for a moment, taking it all in, not knowing just what the hell he was doing. It felt weird to care about someone other than Bella but he was sincerely concerned about what happened to me. He just didn’t know why, he only just met me. He took a deep breath before going downstairs. Bella was anxiously waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

“She’ll be fine.” Jake stated when he reached the bottom. “Just let her do this at her own pace, I guess.”

“You’re awesome, Jake.” Bella smiled.

“No problem.” He commented. “I’m going to take off. I’ve had enough of vampires for one day.”

“Okay.” She nodded.

He quickly walked outside. He looked up at my room for a moment before sprinting into the forest. When Bella walked into the living room there were curious expressions on everyone’s face.

“What?” She asked.

“You _know_ what.” Emmett smirked.

“You do realize what’s happening, right?” Edward stated quietly.

“Ugh.” Rosalie commented, disgusted at the thought.

“He likes her.” Bella replied.

“Yes he does.” Alice smiled. “More than he wants to admit.”

“That’s… fast, isn’t it?” Bella replied. “He only just met her today.”

“I think it’s her elf-fairy nature.” Edward commented. “I think it gives off a very appealing aura and it brings out the best in everyone.”

“Except her dumbass ex-boyfriend.” Rosalie added.

“He’s right.” Jasper replied, ignoring Rosalie. “Since she’s come here it’s affected all of us to a certain degree.”

“For the better.” Esme added quickly and looked at Rosalie.

“Okay, fine. I like her. I never thought I would but she’s not as bad as I expected her to be.” Rosalie admitted.

“She’s funny.” Emmett added.

“She is.” Bella nodded. “Especially when her and Jake get talking, their banter is comedic.”

“It’s adorable.” Alice smiled.

“It’s nauseating.” Rosalie replied and rolled her eyes. “Why does she have to like him?”

“He brings out the best in her.” Jasper replied. “Like Emmett brings out the best in you.”

“Whatever.” Rosalie snipped and left the room.

On the way home Jake couldn’t get me out of his head. Maybe it was because he knew how much I was hurting and since it was a vampire’s fault he could almost relate. A vampire stole the heart of the girl he loved and it broke his in the process. We both got screwed over by vampires in one way or another and it wasn’t fair to either of us. For some strange reason helping me helped him and made him feel better so he figured he should just keep doing that.

When he walked into the house his dad was meeting with a few of the tribe members. Sam and Paul from his pack were there sitting in their already overcrowded living room. Instead of joining them he planned to just walk by and go to his room.

“What’s that scent?” Sam asked while Paul looked up curiously at Jacob.

“I saw Bella at the Cullen’s today give it a rest; you knew I was going there. I can’t help it if some of the vamp stink got on me.”

“That’s not what I was talking about.” Sam replied. “It’s different.”

“Yeah it’s kind of nice.” Paul added.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jake replied and looked at them like they were nuts.

“You don’t smell it?” Paul asked. By now his dad and the tribe members were looking at him.

“I don’t know maybe it’s Bella’s new friend, Nikki. She’s different but she’s not a vamp, she’s definitely human.”

“She’s something more than human.” Sam replied.

“Well she’s not a threat so you can get that look off your face.” Jake replied frowning.

“I didn’t say she was a threat.”

“I heard the tone.” Jake replied and Paul kept sniffing the air around him. “Cut it out!” Jake replied and shoved him.

“Yeah it’s definitely not like anything I’ve smelled before.” Paul replied.

“Nikki has a psychic gift like Alice so maybe she gives off her own special aroma. Anyway, she’s staying with the Cullen’s for a while until she’s safe.”

“Safe?” Jacob’s dad asked. “From what?”

“Bloodsuckers—what do you think?” Jake quipped.

“Then why is she staying at the Cullen’s?” Sam asked.

“They’re friends and they’re trying to protect her.”

“It’s not like you to go to the Cullen’s.” Jake’s father commented.

“What are you talking about? I hang out with Bella—it made sense that I would bump into her friend if I’m hanging out with her.”

“Yeah but you don’t usually go in the house. You don’t interact with them.” Sam replied.

“Oh for Pete’s sake. Am I on trial or something?” Jake asked. “Bella needed my help with her friend so I went _in the house_ and we ended up going for a walk, all three of us.”

“How did her scent get on you?” Sam asked curiously.

“Yeah!” Paul grinned. “Inquiring minds want to know!” He laughed.

“We’re done here.” Jake muttered. “I’m going to my room where I don’t have to give a play by play of what I do every five seconds.”

Jake walked out of the living room and into his room, shutting the door and locking it. He lied down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. I did have an unusual scent for a human but he didn’t think anything of it, not when it was obvious I wasn’t a threat to anyone. He knew I had a long road ahead of me though. It wasn’t going to be easy for me get past the blood tie with Eric and the visions I kept getting. That was going to be a challenge. One thing was certain… if Eric ever did show up he was going to kick his ass for what he put me through.


End file.
